Theft of gold at the airport, ghosts, self-theft by prison guards, exchange of stolen money for weapons... Today, the truth about the largest gold bar robbery in Canadian history, the gold theft at Toronto Pearson International Airport, has been revealed, and the plot is too mysterious, I don't know if it borrows from the plot of Nolan's "Creed".
Peel Police Chief Nishan Duraiappa even said that "it's a sensational story, jokingly speaking, with the plot part of a Netflix series".
An international case involving more than $22 million
A year ago today (April 17, 2023, 4 p.m.), a flight carrying 6,600 gold bars landed at Pearson Airport from Zurich, Switzerland. The treasures are believed to have been stored in a container of about 5 to 6 square feet and 2 hours later were stored at the Air Canada warehouse at the airport.
However, just before 3 a.m. the next day, the 400-kilogram shipment, containing more than $20 million worth of gold and more than $2.5 million in foreign currency, went missing.
It was later confirmed that a white truck had driven towards the warehouse loading dock in the early hours of the morning and had presented a forged waybill. As a result, containers containing 6,600 gold bars and cash were loaded onto trucks.
Over the next four weeks, investigators used cameras from 225 businesses and residences to track the truck's path northwest of the city.
Police quickly identified the alleged driver, a 25-year-old man from the city of Brampton, Durante King-Mclean, but could not locate him.
The suspect was caught by the US police
King-Mclean was stopped by Pennsylvania police in September for a traffic violation while driving a rented car with 65 guns inside. Subsequently, the American police found King-Mclean's name in the database, which became a breakthrough in solving the case.
U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Arms Agency Special Agent Eric DeGree said at a press conference: "This is the beginning of the U.S.-Canada cooperation. He said the confiscated firearms included two fully automatic weapons and five "ghost guns," which did not have serial numbers and could not be traced. DeGree said the guns were destined for Canada. Investigators are still tracing the origin and purchasers of the guns.
King-Mclean is currently in custody in the United States on firearm charges. Another suspect, Simran Preet Panesar, a 31-year-old former airline manager, remains at large.
Peel Police Department Detective Sergeant Mike Mavity told reporters at a press conference today that the two suspects involved in the robbery, King-Mclean and Panesar, were employees of Air Canada.
Police said that the position of Air Canada employees in the warehouse was crucial, and the presence of ghosts was an important reason for the "success" of this crime.
The stolen money goes into the gun smuggling market
Police in the United States and Canada conducted a multi-jurisdictional investigation into the theft, which resulted in six arrests and confiscation of 65 guns. Several of the defendants face 19 charges in Canada, including theft, conspiracy to commit a criminal offence and possession of property obtained through the crime.
Police said one suspect was smuggling guns in the United States and trying to ship illegal firearms to Canada.
Speaking at a press conference in the City of Brampton, the chairman of the Peel Police Service Commission, Nando Iannicc, said: "It's not just about gold bars, it's about guns".
Detective Mavity said the suspect sold the gold bars to import firearms into Canada. Police confiscated six bracelets worth about $90,000 and $430,000 in cash, as well as smelting pots, castings and molds, but no gold bars were found. The investigation continues on several fronts.
"We believe the gold bars have been melted down and reintegrated into the local and international markets...... It's easy. ”
Pearson International Airport is facing a lawsuit
According to a lawsuit filed against Air Canada by Brink's, a U.S. security firm, the criminals easily removed the approximately $22.5 million cargo from Pearson Airport by presenting a forged document. In the planned robbery, Air Canada employees failed to properly check and verify the documents of the "unidentified individual."
In addition, considering that there are "internal ghosts" on Air Canada's staff, the company is also responsible.
However, Air Canada denied the allegations and claimed that the plaintiffs did not have insurance for the valuable cargo.