The shock Toronto airport heist of $20 million in gold bars — weighing 400.19 kilograms — along with US$2 million in cash was as easy as walking into Air Canada’s cargo facility, showing a false waybill, and leaving with the enormous haul, according to a lawsuit filed in court.

It was gone 42 minutes after it was unloaded from a plane arriving from Switzerland and transferred to a supposedly secure warehouse on the periphery of Toronto’s Pearson airport, according to the statement of claim.

 

The theft, one of the largest in Canadian history, remains unsolved by police. Brink’s, a secure transport company, is now suing Air Canada over the lost loads.

 

The lawsuit paints the clearest picture yet of how April’s airport gold heist was allegedly pulled off after months of institutional silence from police, the airline, and others involved in the theft that made headlines around the world.

 

In a statement of claim filed in Federal Court and first reported by Glen McGregor on Substack, Brink’s says the shipment of gold and cash was delivered to Air Canada in Zurich, a Swiss financial centre, and loaded aboard Air Canada Flight AC881, a daily passenger and cargo flight to Toronto, on April 17.

 

Brink’s claims Air Canada provided woeful security despite knowing the high-value contents of the load.

 

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

 

Air Canada would not comment on the lawsuit, the heist, or the allegations.

“As this is matter now before the courts, we are unable to provide a comment,” said Peter Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for Air Canada. Before it was a matter in the courts, the airline also declined to comment.

 

In April, a Swiss bank called Raiffeisen Schweiz, hired Brink’s to transport cash — banknotes with a value of US$1,945,843, weighing 53.18 kilos — from Zurich to Toronto, according to Brink’s statement of claim.

 

The money, declared as “BANKNOTES”, was being shipped to the Vancouver Bullion and Currency Exchange, according to the lawsuit.

 

Around the same time, Valcambi SA, a precious metals refining company in Switzerland, hired Brink’s to transport 400.19 kilos of gold — valued at more than $20.4 million — to Toronto.

 

The gold, declared as “GOLDBARS”, was being sent to the Toronto Dominion Bank in Toronto, the suit says.

 

The two shipments were combined into one air cargo container about the size of a large office desk.

 

The plane landed at Toronto’s Pearson airport around 4:20 p.m. The shipping container was unloaded and moved to an Air Canada bonded warehouse at the edge of the airport at about 5:50 p.m., the lawsuit claims.

 

“At approximately (6:32 p.m.), an unidentified individual gained access to AC’s cargo storage facilities. No security protocols or features were in place to monitor, restrict or otherwise regulate the unidentified individual’s access to the facilities,” the lawsuit claims.

 

“Once inside, the unidentified individual presented to AC personnel the copy of an airway bill respecting an unrelated shipment.

 

“Upon receipt of the Fraudulent Waybill, AC personnel released the Shipments to the unidentified individual, following which the unidentified individual absconded with the cargo,” the lawsuit claims.

 

“AC accepted the Fraudulent Waybill from the unidentified individual without verifying its authenticity in any way.

 

“Had AC made the necessary and appropriate inquiries in the circumstances, the unidentified individual’s ability to steal the cargo entrusted to its care would have been entirely avoided,” according to the Brink’s claim.

 

 

Brink’s sent the nature of the cargo contents, their declared values, and flight information to Air Canada by email when booking the cargo shipment, on or about April 14. The emails were confirmed by Air Canada the same day, according to the lawsuit.

 

The gold and cash had separate air waybills, marked: “BRINK’S SECURED AIRFREIGHT SPECIAL SUPERVISION IS REQUESTED VALUABLE CARGO,” according to the lawsuit.

 

Brink’s says it engaged the airline’s AC Secure program to ship the container. AC Secure advertises itself as providing “special handling for high-value cargo, with security as the highest priority.”

 

“AC Secure ensures the safe and secure transportation of specific commodities including goods with a declared value of CAD/USD $1,000 per kilogram or more, or when a shipper purchases insurance in the same amount per kilogram, regardless of the commodity,” its website says.

 

Commodities using AC Secure often include gold, silver, gems, money, watches, jewelry, stocks and bonds.

 

AC Secure costs more than regular air shipments.

 

Brink’s transportation contract with the company means Brink’s took on responsibility for the value of the load if lost in transit.

 

Brink’s now seeks to redeem that loss from Air Canada.

 

The lawsuit accuses Air Canada of being “reckless in its operation of the AC Secure program” by failing to adequately secure the cargo.

 

The lawsuit claims Air Canada failed to offer “storing facilities equipped with effective vaults and cages, constant CCTV surveillance and active human surveillance patrols.”

 

The suit also claims Air Canada failed to: sufficiently secure software/hardware systems to prevent unauthorized transactions; ensure employee credentials are not susceptible to fraud or misuse; verify the trustworthiness and proper training of personnel with access to high-value shipments.

 

Brink’s claims damages of 13.6 million Swiss Francs, representing the declared value of the missing gold, and US$1,945,843, the value of the missing money.

 

Brink’s also seeks special damages of an unspecified amount and costs of the legal action.

 

The lawsuit says that the company was notified in March of ongoing upgrades by Air Canada designed to “build an improved process” for AC Secure, including “better technology enhancements, handovers and (an) improved tracing method.”

 

But, the suit claims, the airline failed to implement improvements “properly or at all.”

 

The lawsuit was filed in Federal Court because international shipments are regulated by the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that is incorporated into Canadian law.

The investigation by Peel Regional Police continues. No arrests have been announced.

“We understand the interest in this case,” said Cont. Donna Carlson with Peel police.

“This is still a very active ongoing investigation, and information will be released when investigators believe it will not interfere with the investigation’s integrity. At this time, we have no further information to release.”

Brink’s declined to comment prior to publication. TD Bank did not return messages for a request for comment. Valcambi SA and the Vancouver Bullion and Currency Exchange could not be reached for comment.

 

source:New details about $20M Toronto airport gold heist revealed in lawsuit | National Post