$20M in gold, other goods stolen in rare heist at Toronto airport

More than $20 million worth of gold and other goods were stolen in a brazen heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport, police said.

A “high-value container” was stolen after being offloaded from an aircraft and placed in a holding cargo facility at the country’s largest airport.

It’s one of the biggest robberies in Canadian history. The value of this week’s stolen goods is about the same as 3,000 tons of maple syrup that were stolen from a storage facility in Quebec between 2011 and 2012.

In a press conference Thursday, Peel Regional Police inspector Stephen Duivesteyn said proper procedure was followed before Monday’s heist occurred. He said the container was five-square feet, but did not specify the weight.

“This is very rare,” Duivesteyn said, adding that there were so far no suspects.

“We are three days in, so our investigators have their eyes open to all avenues,” he added.

Police have not revealed what airline the cargo arrived on or where the plane originated. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the country’s national police force, have joined the investigation, according to the Toronto Sun. Organized crime elements are believed to be involved.

Police don’t know if the lode was smuggled out of the airport in a truck and is still in Canada or if it was quickly re-routed to another international flight.

Toronto Pearson International Airport handles nearly half of the country’s air cargo.