The Great Gold Heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport: Investigation Still Underway a Year Later

A major gold heist at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport last year, which attracted international media attention, has been brought back into the spotlight by Canadian authorities. On Wednesday, nine people were arrested in connection with the robbery and a warrant was issued for three more. These developments were shared with the public on the first anniversary of the heist.

Robbery Details

Much of the gold worth a total of $14.77 million (20 million Canadian dollars) stolen from Toronto Pearson International Airport is still missing. Police say 6,600 bars of pure gold weighing 400 kilograms and nearly $1.8 million in foreign currency were stolen in a daring robbery at a cargo facility last April.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the thieves melted down and sold the stolen gold and used the proceeds to purchase illegal firearms. Peel Regional Police Detective Sergeant Mike Mavity shared this information at a press conference and announced that the materials used to melt the gold were also recovered.

Investigation Referral

Authorities have so far executed 37 search warrants and interviewed more than 50 people in connection with this large-scale heist. As a result of these efforts, two lists of $7.21 million and $10.23 million were found, indicating the fate of the money from the gold sales. These lists were organized in a manner similar to the methods used in drug trafficking investigations, Mavity said.

Canadian police, in cooperation with the Philadelphia Field Division of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, also arrested a person in possession of 65 illegal firearms in the US.

The Journey and Disappearance of Gold

The gold and currency stolen in the robbery was ordered from a refinery in Zurich and transported to Toronto on an Air Canada flight. After the gold and cargo were transported from the plane to a cargo facility on April 17, 2023, a suspect used a false airline invoice to trick a cargo warehouse agent into taking delivery of the shipment. The container loaded with gold and foreign currency was then driven away from the scene by the suspect in a truck and disappeared the same night.

The Search Still Continues

Police continue to search for a former Air Canada employee and two others who are said to have assisted the thieves. One year after the robbery, there are still many unanswered questions and valuable property remains unaccounted for.

This incident demonstrates once again how critical international security procedures are and how sophisticated criminal organizations can operate. As the investigation continues, measures and regulations to prevent such large-scale robberies may reshape airport security policies.