£12m in gold stolen from airport in biggest international heist for years

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£12m in gold stolen from airport in biggest international heist for years

A massive gold heist in Toronto's main international airport saw thieves steal CA $20 million (£12 million) worth of gold from a cargo terminal.

Inspector Stephen Duivesteyn confirmed that a container of gold arrived on a plane at Pearson airport early Monday evening, April 17, before being transported to a holding facility.

However, shortly after the plane was unloaded, the container was "removed by illegal means" and reported missing.

He did not reveal where the gold came from.

The operation represents the largest gold heist since July 2019 when $30 million (£24 million) was stolen from an airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Investigators are scrambling to uncover exactly how the gold was stolen and the culprits responsible.

Inspector Duivesteyn has stated that such an operation would have required highly sophisticated planning.

The Ottawa Sun reported that the gold may have been shipped from a mine in Northern Ontario on behalf of a major bank, while The Toronto Sun alleged that organised criminal gangs are suspected of being behind the theft.

Duivesteyn emphasised that the public should not be concerned about flying in and out of the airport as they consider this to be an isolated incident and not a public safety matter.