Toronto airport gold heist: Nearly $15 million in valuables stolen

Theft is one of largest to be reported in Canada

The $14.8 million haul was stolen from Toronto Pearson International Airport. Bloomberg

Canadian police have launched an investigation after nearly $15 million of gold and other valuables were stolen from Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Officials said the items were stolen on Monday. Peel Regional Police Inspector Stephen Duivesteyn said a “high-value” container was taken from a holding unit after it was unloaded from a plane.

“As per normal procedure, the aircraft was unloaded and cargo was transported from the aircraft to a holding cargo facility,” he said.

“The container contained a high-value shipment. It did contain gold but it was not exclusive to gold. It contained other items of monetary value.”

Mr Duivesteyn said an investigation was launched after the valuables, worth $14.8 million, were reported as missing.

“We’re three days in, so our investigators have their eyes open to all avenues,” Mr Duivesteyn said on Thursday.

No arrests had been made as of Friday.

The airport heist is one of the largest to be reported in Canada, though it is not the first to involve gold being stolen from an airport.

About $215,000 in gold bars were stolen from a container at what was then called Malton Airport in 1952. In 1990, at least four men escaped with $13.7 million in gold and other valuables at Dorval International Airport.

In 2012, nearly 3,000 tonnes of maple syrup valued at C$18.7 million (US$13.82 million) was stolen Quebec's strategic reserve. The man behind what became known as Canada's great maple syrup heist was last year ordered to repay the full amount of syrup he had stolen and then sold.

The Associated Press contributed to this report