Six people have been arrested after stealing gold and cash at Toronto's Pearson Airport

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Police say they have arrested six people and seized 65 weapons in a multi-jurisdictional investigation into a heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport a year ago, making it the largest gold heist in Canadian history.

Two of the suspects involved in the $20 million in gold bars and $2.5 million in cash were Air Canada employees, Peel Police Detective Sergeant Mile Maveety told reporters Wednesday.

Warrants were issued for three other people, including one Air Canada employee, a manager who resigned last summer.

Det. Mawiti said the suspects sold the gold to bring firearms into Canada. Police confiscated six bracelets worth $90,000 and $430,000, but were unable to find much of the gold.

“We believe the gold has been melted down for the international market,” Det Mawiti said. “Unfortunately, that's easy.”

Shortly after arriving at the airport on a flight from Zurich on the afternoon of April 17, 2023, a thief made off with a container of gold bars and cash. Police say the cargo was taken to an Air Canada warehouse near the airport, where it was stolen.

The driver of the white five-tonne truck presented a false waybill at the Air Canada warehouse while the container was loaded onto the truck.

Over the next four weeks, investigators tracked the truck northwest of the city using surveillance cameras at 226 businesses and homes.

They soon located the suspected driver, but were unable to locate him.

He was pulled over by Pennsylvania State Police in September for a traffic violation while driving a rental car with 65 guns inside.

The suspect's name was in the police database and he was wanted for questioning in Peel. Mavity said in an interview.

It turned out to be the break the police needed, he said. The suspect is being held in the US on weapons charges. Suspects charged in Canada released.

Police said the location of Air Canada employees at the warehouse was critical. The fraudster printed the bill of lading at the warehouse and it was a previous day seafood delivery.

“The positions of the people involved made it easy,” Peel Deputy Police Chief Nick Milinovich said.

The theft is the subject of a lawsuit filed last fall by gold shipper Brink against Air Canada. Brink's transferred the valuables on behalf of two clients, the Toronto-Dominion Bank and the Vancouver Bullion and Currency Exchange.

Brink claimed in a lawsuit that the thieves won the gold using false documents in a warehouse that he described as having poor security procedures.

“There were no security protocols or capabilities to monitor, restrict or otherwise regulate unauthorized access to the facilities,” Brink said in the civil case filed in the Federal Court of Canada.

Air Canada has denied the allegations in court.