A team of thieves have managed to steal $15 million (CAD $20 million) worth of gold bullion from a secure cargo hangar at Toronto Pearson International Airport, the local police department has confirmed.
The heist took place on Monday, but Peel Regional Police have only now confirmed the massive theft after local media outlets got hold of the news.
The stolen gold bullion was believed to be intended for a major Canadian bank, although few details have yet been released.
During a press conference on Thursday, Inspector Stephen Duivesteyn of the Peel Police Department said: “An aircraft arrived here at the airport in the early evening, and as per normal procedure, the aircraft was unloaded, and cargo was transported from the aircraft to holding cargo facility.”
Duivesteyn did not say where the gold bullion arrived from or what airline transported the precious metal.
Local media reports suggest the total amount of gold transported on Monday weighed 3,600 pounds and was worth $100 million, which suggests that the thieves only managed to get away with a relatively small portion of the shipment.
Last month, a security guard was killed in a shootout at Santiago de Chile Airport as raiders attempted to carry out an audacious $32 million heist on an aircraft that had just arrived from Miami International Airport.
In that case, the thieves were attempting to steal dollar notes that had been flown to the South American country, and in both cases, security experts believe that the thieves must have had inside help.
In 2019, an Austrian Airlines flight was allegedly held up on the runway as it was preparing for takeoff when thieves broke open a cargo hold and stole €10 million in cash at Tirana International Airport in Albania.
The airline confirmed that the theft took place while passengers were on the plane, but a spokesperson noted that passengers were none the wiser. Austrian Airlines temporarily stopped carrying valuable cargo following that heist.
