Gold Robbery | “It would fit in a Netflix series” – Thieves took thousands of gold bars in the biggest gold heist in Canadian history

in Canada police have arrested six men on suspicion of a gold heist described as the largest in the country's history.

About 6,600 gold bars with a total value of about 20 million Canadian dollars, or about 14 million euros, were taken from Toronto's Pearson Airport a year ago in a robbery described as “brazen”. The gold was taken from the cargo handling area of ​​the airport, where cash worth 2.7 million Canadian dollars was stolen at the same time.

The police reported on the arrests and the progress of the investigation on Wednesday at a press conference, which was reported by, among others, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC and the British media The Guardian and BBC.

“This case is sensational, and one that would fit into a Netflix series,” Peel County Police Sgt Nishan Duraiappah joked at the press conference.

Peel County police investigated the incident along with U.S. authorities. Five of the arrests were made in Canada and one in the United States. Two of the arrested are employees of the Canadian airline Air Canada, and according to the police, their role in the robbery was significant.

A total of 19 charges have been brought against the suspects, and an arrest warrant has been issued for three other people in Canada.

Robbery occurred on April 17, 2023. A cargo containing gold had arrived at the airport's handling area on an Air Canada flight from Zurich, Switzerland.

According to the police, one of the thieves had entered the handling area by showing an air waybill. The bill of lading was a copy of the original bill of lading that had been used the day before to receive the fish food order. According to the police, the copy was printed at Air Canada's premises.

Gold and cash were stolen from the processing area in a truck. Brink's International, which coordinates air transport, sued Air Canada for “negligence” a few months after the theft. According to Brink's, the theft occurred just 42 minutes after the cargo was unloaded from the plane, and the airline did nothing to stop the truck driver from making off with his loot, according to Brink's.

According to the police, the gold robbery was professional and related to the illegal arms trade between the United States and Canada. According to police, the gold was later melted down and used to buy firearms. The 25-year-old man driving the gold robbery truck was arrested in September in Pennsylvania, USA, during a routine traffic stop. The police found 65 guns in the man's car, which are believed to be on their way to Canada.

“This is not just about the gold heist, it's about how the gold turns into weapons,” Peel police spokesman Nando Iannicca stated at the press conference.

The charges have not yet been heard in court. The dispute between Air Canada and Brink's has also not yet been settled. According to Air Canada, Brink's had not disclosed the true value of the stolen cargo when coordinating the transport from Zurich to Toronto because the company wanted to avoid the costs of additional security measures, according to Air Canada. According to Air Canada, it was also not responsible for security in the area where the gold was stolen.