You are currently viewing Toronto airport’s latest issue: Heist succeeds at robbing $20M worth of gold and valuables!

Most Canadians knows that the Toronto-Pearson airport (YYZ) doesn’t have the best reputation. In recent years especially, it’s become known for delayed flights, long waits, lost luggage, poor customer service, and just an overall terrible experience according to many. Now, the airport was the site of a major heist.

The airport confirmed that around 20 million dollars worth of gold and other valuable goods had been stolen. This is something you don’t often hear about in developed countries (especially in an airport, a place many consider very secure).

This might be the biggest known heist to happen in Canada since the most Canadian heist ever, the $19M worth of maple syrup stolen in Québec just over 10 years ago.

Here’s what we know about the Toronto airport heist so far.

 

Overview of the Toronto airport heist

Since this is an ongoing investigation, both police and the airport are being fairly secretive and withholding information, but they did give a few details:

  • Around $20M worth of valuables were stolen from an airport warehouse
    • Gold bars
    • Other high-value goods 
  • Shipment arrived in Toronto (YYZ) on a cargo plane on Monday
    • It was in a “high-value container”
    • We don’t know which airline transported the goods
    • We also don’t know who the goods belong to
  • Valuables were unloaded as usual and moved to a holding facility
    • They were waiting for their next transport
    • It did get transported — but not by the right people
    • It’s thought the goods were stolen on the same day
  • Warehouse was accessed from a public entrance
    • From a space leased out to a third-party
    • Not within the airport side (secured area)
  • The public was not in danger
    • No need to be scared about this too
  • No one has been arrested but it’s an ongoing investigation
    • Police are still working to solve the theft
    • Information on potential suspects wasn’t provided
    • Specifics about how this happened weren’t provided
    • Goods may have already left the country

 

Similar airport heist in March in Chile

A similar heist of $40M in cash was attempted in March at the Santiago airport (SCL), in Chile. That one was even bolder though, as it took place in the secured area of the airport grounds, not in a third-party warehouse.

It also led to a shootout, with 1 security agent and 1 thief killed. And that one wasn’t successful, as the money was saved.

So that means it could’ve been worse in Toronto in terms of violence (but over there the plan was foiled).

That also means that apparently airport heists are really a thing. 

You’d think an airport would be a very secure spot, given how a bottle of water is considered too dangerous to go through security (although that may be ending; post coming soon). That perception is often shattered when people learn that the American TSA fails to spot over 90% of illegal items in screening studies, but the whole security theater is another topic entirely.

That said, it makes sense that third-party warehouse facilities that just happen to be adjacent to the airport could be no more secure than one that’s in any industrial park. 

Everything makes a better headline when it happens in an airport, of course.

 

Toronto airport heist took place outside of secure area

We’re not sure who has the worse reputation; Toronto’s airport or the Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff prowess. 

(I’m sure many Torontonians would gladly sacrifice that $20M in gold belonging to an unknown owner in exchange for ending the drought right?)

While the police are being pretty silent about detailed information, the Toronto airport released a statement saying it wasn’t their fault. 

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority stated the “thieves accessed the public side of a warehouse that is leased to a third party, outside of our primary security line… [and it] did not involve access to Toronto-Pearson itself and did not pose a threat to passengers.”

The Peel Regional Police said this type of heist is “very rare” and isn’t a threat to public safety, so flying through the Toronto airport isn’t dangerous. 

It’s almost ridiculous that they need to specify that, but actually, so many people are irrationally scared of so many things that I guess it makes sense that they do it.

 

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Summary

The Toronto airport heist makes for an unusual headline, given how secure many people consider airports. But the $20M in gold was actually stolen from a third-party warehouse, so there’s nothing to worry about.

What would you like to know about the Toronto airport heist?  Tell us in the comments below.

 

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Featured image: Unrelated gold bullion coins (photo credit: Zlaťáky.cz)

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Andrew D'Amours

Andrew is the co-founder of Flytrippers. He is passionate about traveling the world but also, as a former management consultant, about the travel industry itself. He shares his experiences to help you save money on travel. As a very cost-conscious traveler, he loves finding deals and getting free travel thanks to travel rewards points... to help him visit every country in the world (current count: 71/193 Countries, 47/50 US States & 9/10 Canadian Provinces).

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Jason Oh

    The aftermath of the liberal ruling period was the constant crumbling of organizations and corruption in the public sector because they were free and used to enjoying the spending sprees during the period. They took the government budget for granted and never feel watched by the people because the lefty government will protect them. That’s what’s happening in the US now.

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