The police in Canada are investigating the theft of nearly C$20m (US$14.8m) worth of gold and other high-value items from Pearson airport in Toronto.
Peel Regional Police reported that the theft took place on Monday when the cargo handlers offloaded containers from an aircraft.
Inspector Stephen Duivesteyn stated that the aircraft arrived at the airport in the early evening, and the cargo handlers transported it to a holding cargo facility following normal procedure.
The container had a high-value shipment, including gold and other items of monetary value.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is also investigating the theft, which is one of the largest in the history of Canada
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority declined to comment on the active police investigation.
Goldmines from northern Ontario frequently ship bullion through the city’s airport, which handles almost half of the country’s air cargo.
According to Duivesteyn, the investigation is ongoing, and the incident seems to be isolated.
He also stated that he would not describe the theft as a professional job at this time.
The police have not identified the intended destination of the stolen cargo, and they have not confirmed whether the gold is still in the country.According to Duivesteyn, this is a very rare occurrence.
However, this is not the first time that a Toronto-area airport has made headlines for a gold heist.
Malton Airport, the predecessor to Pearson, experienced a gold bullion theft of $215,000 worth on 25 September 1952.At the time, it was the largest gold robbery in Canadian history, worth C$2.3m in today’s money.