Additional Coverage:
Nine Arrested in Connection to $14.77 Million Toronto Airport Gold Robbery, Search for Three More Underway
Toronto, Canada – A sophisticated heist that saw over 400 kilograms of gold bars valued at $14.77 million stolen from Toronto Pearson International Airport has led to the arrest of nine individuals, with authorities still on the lookout for three others implicated in the theft. The only recovered items thus far are six pure gold bracelets, collectively worth just over $65,000, from the initial haul of 6,600 gold bars.
Investigations reveal that the stolen gold was likely melted down and sold off, with the proceeds used to buy illegal firearms for trafficking. Law enforcement officials have managed to seize $312,000 in cash, suspected to be part of the profits from the gold’s sale. Additionally, equipment including smelting pots and molds, presumably used to alter the form of the gold, has been confiscated.
Documents found during the arrest disclosed two lists totaling $17.44 million, believed to outline the distribution of profits from the sale of the stolen gold. A pivotal role in the heist appears to have been played by a former Air Canada employee, aiding the culprits in their elaborate scheme. Among those arrested is an individual caught in the United States, found in possession of 65 illegal firearms.
The gold bars and currency, originally ordered from a refinery in Zurich, were transported via an Air Canada flight to Toronto. The theft was carried out using fraudulent documents, including a duplicate airway bill, which allowed the suspects to pick up the shipment in a five-ton truck without raising suspicion.
Authorities are continuing their investigation and efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects believed to be involved in the audacious theft. This incident has shed light on the intricate methods employed by criminal networks in executing large-scale heists and the subsequent laundering of stolen goods through illegal markets.