Some of gold stolen during airport heist was melted down in basement of GTA jewelry store: police
At least some of the gold bars stolen during the heist at Pearson Airport one year ago was likely melted down in the basement of a Toronto area jewelry store, Peel police tell CP24.com.
Last week, investigators held a news conference on the one-year anniversary of the heist, announcing that five suspects had been arrested and four others are facing charges in connection with the largest gold theft in Canadian history.
Police said the suspects face a total of 19 charges and Canada-wide warrants have been issued for the arrest of three of the suspects who have not yet been apprehended.
One former and one current Air Canada employee are among the suspects, as well as a Toronto jewelry store owner, police said.
During last week’s news conference, police shared images of smelting equipment that was seized during the investigation.
In a statement to CP24.com on Monday, police said that equipment, which is used to change the composition of gold, was found in the basement of a GTA jewelry store.
Police display smelting pots, casts and molds which they believe were used to alter gold stolen in a heist at Toronto Pearson airport, (Handout /Peel police)
“In conjunction with other evidence, that leads us to believe that some of the gold was melted there. At this time, we cannot get into precisely how much was melted there,” a spokesperson for the police service said in an email to CP24.com.
Police have also said that the only gold recovered from the heist was melted down and fashioned into six gold bracelets, worth an estimated $89,000.
“The gold bracelets were not found at the same location as the smelting tools, and we cannot divulge where they were found at this time,” police said Monday.
“Regarding the remaining gold, our opinion is that it likely has left the country.”
Six pure gold bracelets worth an estimated $89,000 were recovered as part of an investigation into a gold heist at Toronto Pearson airport and are displayed in this image from Peel police. (Handout)
The gold, along with about $2.5 million in foreign currency, was shipped to Toronto from Zurich in the hull of an Air Canada plane on April 17, 2023. The shipment was offloaded to an Air Canada cargo facility shortly after the flight landed at Pearson Airport that afternoon.
Police allege that a suspect driving a five-tonne delivery truck came into possession of the gold and bank notes after presenting Air Canada personnel with a fraudulent airway bill.
Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah previously said that the heist was “carefully planned” by a “well-organized group of criminals.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.
DEVELOPING Israel says Hamas deal is 'far' from meeting its demands as Rafah offensive looms
Israel said the terms of a ceasefire deal Hamas accepted on Monday remained 'far from' meeting its demands and warned its military operations in Rafah would continue, even as it sent negotiators to talk to mediators.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.