In a shocking incident, nearly INR 121 crore worth of gold and other high-value items were stolen from Toronto's Pearson airport on Monday. Peel Regional Police reported the incident on Thursday, stating that the cargo was reported missing after containers were offloaded from an aircraft in the early evening.
While the container did contain gold, it also had other items of monetary value. Investigators from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are also looking into the theft, which is one of the largest in Canadian history. The intended destination of the stolen cargo has not been identified, and it is unclear if the gold is still in the country.
Peel Regional Police Inspector Stephen Duivesteyn stated that he would not call it a professional job at this time and that the investigation was ongoing. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority declined to comment on the theft, citing an active police investigation.
Goldmines from northern Ontario often ship bullion through Toronto's airport, which handles nearly half of Canada's air cargo. While the incident is isolated, it is not the first time a Toronto-area airport has made headlines for a gold heist. In 1952, $215,000 worth of gold bullion was stolen at Malton Airport, the precursor to Pearson, making it the largest gold robbery in Canadian history at the time.
Previous high-value heists in Canada have targeted a priceless photograph and the country's vast maple syrup stockpile. In 2014, mastermind Richard Vallières stole C$17m in syrup from a Quebec warehouse, part of the province's strategic reserve.