AIR CARG O WEEK


SPECIAL CARGO THE TAIL END


TWO AIRPORTS: RIGOUR AND VIGILANCE RACE AHEAD OF CRIMINAL CUNNING


BY James GRAHAM


“Prevention is far cheaper and more effective than post-theft investigation”


O


n 17 April 2023, Toronto Pearson International Airport became the scene of Canada’s largest-ever gold theft. A shipment of extraordinary value – more than C$20 million in gold bullion and foreign currency – was stolen in a meticulously planned operation that exposed significant


vulnerabilities in cargo security. The consignment originated in Switzerland and was arranged


through Brink’s Switzerland Ltd. Valcambi, a Swiss precious metals refiner, dispatched 660 gold bars weighing 400 kilograms to the Toronto-Dominion Bank, while Raiffeisen Schweiz shipped C$2.7 million in banknotes to the Vancouver Bullion and Currency Exchange. Both shipments were consolidated into a single Brink’s container, measuring less than half a square metre. At the time of the theft, the gold was valued at closer to C$34 million when measured against prevailing market prices, a discrepancy that remains unresolved. The goods arrived in Toronto on Air Canada Flight 881, a Boeing 777-300ER, and were transferred to an Air Canada holding facility at 5:50 pm. Less than an hour later, a truck entered the facility


and presented


a forged waybill – an altered copy of a genuine document relating


before. The document, printed on an internal machine, was sufficient to deceive staff. The container was duly loaded onto the vehicle and disappeared into Ontario’s road network. By the time a legitimate Brink’s truck arrived, the consignment was gone. The


theft was reported to police at 2:43 am. The joint


investigation between Peel Regional Police and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, codenamed “Project 24K,” uncovered links to organised crime and possible connections to illegal arms trafficking. In April 2024, authorities charged nine individuals,


including two Air Canada employees. The recovery,


however, was minimal: approximately $430,000 in cash, $89,000 in gold ornaments, and evidence of smelting operations. Police believe the gold was melted and channelled into markets in Dubai and India, beyond effective traceability. The


case highlighted systemic weaknesses: inadequate


verification procedures, insider collusion, and overreliance on paper documentation. Despite millions spent on investigations, the bulk of the bullion remains unaccounted for, a lasting reminder of how high-value cargo can be compromised through seemingly simple deception.


to


s ea f oo d co l l ec t ed the day


Brussels Airport diamond heist, 2013 A decade earlier, in February 2013, Brussels Airport was the stage for a daring theft that demonstrated comparable flaws in the handling of high-value cargo. Eight heavily armed and masked assailants, disguised as police officers, infiltrated the airport’s perimeter and intercepted a Brink’s armoured vehicle transferring diamonds to a Swiss-bound aircraft. The heist was executed with astonishing efficiency. In less than


15 minutes, the perpetrators breached a security fence, drove onto the tarmac in two vehicles with flashing lights and approached the Fokker jet poised for departure to Zurich. The security guards and airport staff, outnumbered and facing apparent law enforcement officers, offered no resistance. The thieves loaded approximately €38 million worth of polished diamonds – destined for Antwerp, the global diamond trading hub – into their vehicles and left without a single shot fired. Subsequent investigations revealed the theft to be among the


largest diamond robberies in history. Arrests were made across Belgium, France and Switzerland, and several suspects were tried. Yet, as in Toronto, the material recovery was negligible. The


diamonds had vanished, presumed laundered through illicit markets or cut and sold piecemeal, rendering them virtually impossible to trace. The operation highlighted extensive planning and deep knowledge


of airport procedures. The attackers knew the precise timing of the transfer, the location of the Brink’s truck, and the vulnerabilities


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