Million coup: thieves at Toronto airport loot containers full of gold – police are puzzled

Unknown persons cleared a container full of gold at Toronto Airport.

The police

TORONTO - Unknown thieves have stolen gold and other valuable items worth more than 20 million Canadian dollars (13.5 million euros) at Toronto Airport, according to initial information from the Canadian police.

The damage could possibly amount to almost 100 million euros.

The precious cargo arrived by plane at Toronto Airport on Monday evening, was unloaded and taken to a "secure" warehouse, local police representative Stephen Duivesteyn said on Thursday.

Shortly thereafter she disappeared.

The container was "removed from the storage room by illegal means," said Duivesteyn.

He initially gave no information on the exact course of events.

But the airport operator was a little more specific: The thieves gained access on the public side of a warehouse rented to a third party, said an airport spokeswoman for the Canadian newspaper

.

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Peel Police Commissioner Stephen Duivesteyn speaks to members of the media about the gold robbery at Toronto Airport.

© Arlyn Mcadorey/Imago

Million robbery: Exact amount of stolen gold is still being discussed

Inspector Stephen Duivesteyn also did not comment on speculation as to who might be behind the theft: At the moment it is still unclear whether professionals were at work or casual thieves.

The police are investigating in all directions.

The exact amount of the stolen goods is still being discussed in Canada: according to information from the local newspaper

the thieves alone stole over 1.6 tons of gold.

Far more than the police said was stolen.

At gold prices on Friday afternoon, 1.6 tons of gold would be worth more than 138 million Canadian dollars (more than 93 million euros).

That would correspond to far more than the 20 million Canadian dollars indicated by the authorities.

Authorities suspect local criminal gangs to be behind the crime, writes the

, citing insiders.

Rubric list image: © Arlyn Mcadorey/Imago