Six individuals have been arrested for alleged involvement in a multimillion-dollar gold heist at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport last year on April 17, 2023.
Police in Canada and the US announced on Wednesday that arrest warrants have also been issued for three additional suspects, raising the total number of those implicated in the case to nine.
On April 17, 2023, CNN reported that thieves stole an air cargo container with over 14.5 million dollars worth of gold bars and foreign currency. The cargo, arriving from Zurich on an Air Canada flight, was taken using forged documents. Authorities have indicated that this was an inside job involving at least two former Air Canada employees, one of whom is now in custody, while the other remains at large.
Detective Sgt. Mike Mavity of Peel Regional Police highlighted the necessity of insider assistance for the theft. Through spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick, Air Canada acknowledged the suspects’ employment in their cargo division, noting that one had left the company before the arrests and the other had been suspended.
The investigation, “Project 24Karat,” saw involvement from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Pennsylvania. A Canadian arrested in September 2023 on traffic violations was identified as the truck driver who transported the stolen cargo. He was caught illegally in the US and fled during a traffic stop, which also uncovered firearms in his rental car.
An ATF special agent, Eric DeGree, noted that a vehicle search led to the seizure of firearms intended for smuggling into Canada. This find prevented potential violent crimes, linking the stolen gold and cash to a scheme to finance illegal firearms trafficking.
As the investigation continues, authorities have only recovered a fraction of the stolen assets. A search in Ontario uncovered five crudely melted gold bangles valued at around $90,000. Deputy Police Chief Nick Milinovich remarked on the historic scale of the heist, labelling it the largest in Canadian history and one of the largest globally.
Brampton’s Mayor, Patrick Brown, reflected on the unexpected magnitude of the crime, comparing it to scenarios from movies like “Ocean’s Eleven” or “CSI,” underscoring that the criminals underestimated police capabilities.
