One of Canada’s biggest-ever heists happened earlier this week at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), and there aren’t any suspects yet…
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Gold and other valuables stolen from Toronto Airport
Airports are massive hubs not just for passengers, but also for the shipment of cargo. In some cases, that cargo can be worth a lot, as it could include cash and other valuables. As you might expect, those kinds of shipments can become targets, and that’s exactly what happened earlier this week.
On Monday, April 17, 2023, an air cargo container with nearly $15 million in gold and other valuables disappeared from Toronto Pearson Airport. An Air Canada aircraft (we don’t know where it came from) had arrived at the airport in the early evening and the valuable cargo was unloaded and transported to a holding facility in line with normal procedures.
However, what happened after that is a mystery, as police were called to the scene a short while after this all happened. The total estimated worth of the shipment that was stolen was just under $15 million USD.
As of Friday, no suspects have been identified. The gold and other valuables were allegedly supposed to go to TD Bank, as part of an intra-bank transaction. It’s believed that the overall shipment was worth $100 million, so it would appear that only a portion of the intended shipment was stolen.
This happens more often than you’d think
Stealing a huge shipment of valuables from an airport is something that seems like it’s straight out of a movie. You’d think that this would be nearly impossible — airports have lots of cameras, are generally “secure” areas, there aren’t necessarily easy escape routes, and there are also typically security personnel in areas with valuable cargo.
Nonetheless we do see incidents like this with some amount of frequency. I have to imagine that largely comes down to the number of people who are aware of the “movements” of valuable cargo, making it easy to have an inside connection. Many airport ground workers aren’t exactly very well paid, so an opportunity to tip someone off about something for a large sum of money presumably interests some.
For example, just last month, a LATAM Boeing 787 at Santiago Airport was the target of an attempted $32.5 million heist. The aircraft was carrying tens of millions of dollars in cash, and a group of attempted robbers stormed the tarmac with guns and tried to steal the valuable shipment. After a shootout between the robbers and security personnel, the robbers fled.
Specific to Canada, in 1990 there was a heist where robbers successfully stole $13.7 million in gold and other valuables from a private plane, which was one of Canada’s largest robberies at the time. Adjusting for inflation over the past 33 years, that was a pretty massive robbery.
In that incident, at least four robbers drove a garbage truck through the fence of the airport and onto the apron at Dorval International Airport, prior to stealing all the goods and getting away. They were armed with AK-47s, and also exploded a pipe bomb several miles away, as an attempted diversion tactic.
Bottom line
Earlier this week, roughly $15 million in gold and other valuables was stolen from a cargo facility at Toronto Pearson Airport. The valuables had just arrived on an Air Canada jet, and were supposed to be transfered to a bank, but somehow much of the shipment was stolen.
These kinds of incidents happen every once in a while, and I have to imagine this was (at least on some level) an inside job. In this case the robbers got away with it, while more often than not they get caught.
What do you make of this Toronto Airport heist?
I have worked in airports inside and outside of the secure are, and the AOA. I have been authorized in all areas, and would pick up parcels directly off the plane for transport to other areas.
This was several years ago, and at the time there were cameras everywhere, and every person entering the secure area was time stamped at their point of access.
People only had access to their immediate area of...
I have worked in airports inside and outside of the secure are, and the AOA. I have been authorized in all areas, and would pick up parcels directly off the plane for transport to other areas.
This was several years ago, and at the time there were cameras everywhere, and every person entering the secure area was time stamped at their point of access.
People only had access to their immediate area of work.
Any breach of perimeter would make the local cops day….
So with all that said it should be relatively easy to see who did it, finding them is another matter.
Clearly it was a inside job, and funny as it seams the air cargo area is probably the weakest link because it is usually away from the terminal but has part inside the secure area and a tiny staff.
All you gotta do is have a clean record and clean fingerprints, not much of a stretch for an inside criminal job.
TSA has all the knowledge and opportunity.
They know what’s in each bag. Need I say more.
Criminals will find a way. Protect yourself, don’t put anything valuable in your checked bags, and check the actual airlines liability: domestic is practically non existent, international is somewhat better.
Take your camera and jewelry with you and check your stinky clothes.
This is different from all the other heists that involve just general violence. This was clearly very well planned, and totally caught the authorities by surprise.
Oh, Canada.
Just more crime in Trudeau's Canada, nothing to see here and don't expect anyone to get punished.
Well there some critical thinking. Information bias much?
Being in Toronto for as long as I have and knowing a thing or two about YYZ, perhaps YYZ should look at their staffing practices. A few weeks ago we had Sanjay Madan of a government Ministry sentenced to 10 yrs in jail for stealing $47 ! So much theft in Toronto going on !
10 years for stealing $47? Just imagine how long the sentence will be for stealing $15 million, if the perpetrators are caught!
I'm sure the news said it was $47 million.
If it was some politician named Steven Moskovitz, he would receive a pardon in 18 months.
How have they ruled out just sloppy misplacement and shipping of part of the valuable cargo? It wouldn’t be the first time an airline or airline cargo handlers have messed up.
The police are of course going to first consider it a criminal act with a crooked insider angle when time is ticking.
Maybe next time the owners will put in an AirtTag+TilePro and be more likely to get the real story sooner than later along with the goods.
Years ago I was waiting to board a SQ flight at JFK. The aircraft normally had a long layover and was brought to the gate just for boarding. The young lady I was speaking with then left to supervise luggage loading. Her job was to discourage theft which, unchecked, ran rampant.
I do realize that these shipments are handled differently but I imagin this was an inside job. I also was on hand to witness...
Years ago I was waiting to board a SQ flight at JFK. The aircraft normally had a long layover and was brought to the gate just for boarding. The young lady I was speaking with then left to supervise luggage loading. Her job was to discourage theft which, unchecked, ran rampant.
I do realize that these shipments are handled differently but I imagin this was an inside job. I also was on hand to witness a shipment of mine transferred from LH cargo to my trucker. One carton was damaged so I had the right to open and count contents. I was asked to wait, moments later there were two heavily armed guards standing to observe. This was after a famous LH heist, lol.
I wouldn’t be completely shocked if this was an insider job and just a way to bilk the insurance
TD Bank, though? They can't be bothered with bilking insurers for a piddly 15MM.
First thing that came to my mind: Goodfellas.
Thanks for the reminder, I'll rewatch it tonight.