9 arrested in gold heist case in Toronto airport

Authorities have made significant progress in their investigation into the theft that has shaken the aviation and security industries in Canada.

Last year, gold bars and a large quantity of silver were stolen during a flight from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, marking one of the country’s most daring crimes.

The suspects were eventually apprehended and will be brought to justice, reports CBC.

Peel police say a joint task force investigating a multimillion-dollar gold heist at Pearson airport last year has arrested multiple people, laid 19 related charges and interrupted a “large quantity of firearms” intended for import into Canada. https://t.co/8VfTBUm3f3 .

— CBC News (@CBCNews) April 17, 2024

Local authorities, in coordination with U.S. authorities, announced the arrest of nine individuals in connection with this sensational robbery.

The criminals had managed to steal gold and cash worth over $20 million in a carefully planned robbery on April 17, 2023. One of the criminals had posed as an airline official, providing a false airway bill to facilitate access to the goods the suspects planned to steal.

The criminals succeeded in seizing a container containing 6,600 gold bars, totalling over 400 kilograms, as well as large sums of foreign currency. They then loaded everything onto a truck without arousing the slightest suspicion, carrying out the operation over a period of a few hours.

Authorities say they have uncovered a network of criminal activity as a result of this spectacular theft and subsequent arrests.

An American suspect, identified as a truck driver involved in the theft, was arrested during a routine traffic stop while in possession of 65 illegal firearms, leading to charges of arms trafficking. Surprisingly, this investigation and these firearms were also linked to gold theft in Canada.

Investigators reported that the stolen gold would probably have been melted down and disposed of quickly, with the profits used to support arms trafficking. During their investigations, they uncovered a melting kettle as well as molds that would have been used to reshape the stolen gold into various forms, including gold bracelets.

Three individuals, including a former Air Canada employee suspected of facilitating the theft, are still on the run.