Achi news desk-
Nine people wanted in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year have been identified by investigators, Peel Regional Police said.
At a news conference Wednesday on the one-year anniversary of the heist, police announced that two of the suspects were employed with Air Canada at the time of the heist.
Police said 19 charges have been laid and Canada-wide warrants have been issued for the arrest of three suspects who have not yet been apprehended.
During a news conference Wednesday morning, police said 6,600 gold bars were stolen from an Air Canada cargo facility on the night of April 17, 2023 by a suspect who arrived at the warehouse in a five-ton truck.
The gold, along with about $2.5 million in foreign currency, had been transported to Toronto from Zurich in the core of an Air Canada plane and was unloaded at an Air Canada cargo facility shortly after landing at Pearson Airport that afternoon.
Six pure gold bracelets worth an estimated $89,000 were recovered as part of an investigation into a gold heist at Toronto Pearson airport and are on display in this image by Peel police. (leaflet)
Police allege the suspect came into possession of the stolen gold and banknotes after presenting Air Canada personnel with a fraudulent airway bill.
“The airway bill was for a legitimate shipment of seafood picked up the day before,” said Detective Sgt. Mike Mavity, chief case manager of the joint investigation, dubbed Project 24K, told reporters Wednesday.
“This duplicate airway bill was printed from a printer within Air Canada cargo.”
Mavity said a forklift arrived a short time later and loaded the stolen gold and currency into the back of the truck. The suspect then drove off with the gold bars, which were estimated to be worth around $20 million.
Brinks Canada, which was hired to provide security and logistics services for the shipment, showed up at the facility a few hours later to pick up the items.
A map showing the alleged movements of vehicles during a gold heist at Toronto Pearson Airport is displayed during a news conference on Wednesday November 17, 2024. (Flyer / Peel Police)
Police said Air Canada employees tried to find the container, realized it was missing, and quickly launched an internal investigation. The police were informed of the stolen goods just before 3am the following day, said Mavity.
Police said Wednesday that the suspect investigators identified as the driver of the truck is currently in custody in the United States and is now wanted for multiple crimes in connection with this investigation, including theft over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime.
This is a breaking news story. More details to come.
