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New details about $20M Toronto airport gold heist revealed in Brink’s suit against Air Canada
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.
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.
“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.
“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.
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.
“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 beyond their statement of claim. TD Bank, Valcambi SA, and the Vancouver Bullion and Currency Exchange did not respond to requests for comment prior to deadline.
TORONTO – Lorenzo Insigne’s goal early in the second half carried Toronto FC to a 1-0 win over Hamilton-based Forge FC on Tuesday and a berth in the Canadian Championship final.
Forge FC held a 2-1 aggregate lead after winning the first leg at Tim Hortons Field on July 10. That meant to win the semifinal TFC needed a clean sheet victory or win by at least two goals if Hamilton’s Canadian Premier League club scored an away goal at Toronto’s BMO Field.
Toronto FC will face the winner of the semifinal between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Pacific FC.
The Whitecaps held a 1-0 lead on aggregate heading into Tuesday’s second leg between the two West Coast teams.
Regardless of who won the West Coast semifinal, British Columbia will host the Canadian Championship final in late September.
No Canadian Premier League team has ever won the Voyageurs Cup, the Canadian Championship trophy. Toronto FC has won it eight times.
Kwasi Poku and Beni Badibanga scored for Forge in the semifinal’s opening leg in Hamilton before substitute Prince Owusu got a late away goal for TFC. Poku, from Brampton, Ont., was sent to Belgian side RWD Molenbeek on Aug. 21 for a CPL-record transfer fee.
It was 32 degrees Celsius when Tuesday’s match began, but felt like 41 with the humidity at BMO Field.
Toronto FC pressed from the outset, working to not just win the match but take the semifinal’s lead on aggregate. The Reds possessed the ball 69 per cent of the first half and were especially aggressive in the first 10 minutes of play.
Owusu got TFC’s best first-half chance in the 31st minute, putting his foot on a cross from Federico Bernardeschi, but it deflected over the crossbar despite being within a few yards of the goal.
Owusu sank to his knees inside the goal as the ball bounced harmlessly out of bounds and Bernardeschi, who had jumped over the retaining wall as his momentum carried him off the pitch, also looked visibly frustrated.
Forge FC wasn’t without its chances in the first 45 minutes of play.
Badibanga had an attempt in the 11th minute and a nice through ball to a streaking Tristan Borges in the 18th looked like an opportunity but TFC ‘keeper Sean Johnson charged out to swat it to the sidelines.
Defender Daniel Parra fired a chest-high shot in on the ensuing throw in for Forge’s first shot on target of the match.
Insigne earned a yellow card in the 37th minute after tugging on Badibanga’s beard when they squared up after a second hard tackle took them both to the ground.
After a scoreless first half, Insigne finally got the offence Toronto FC needed.
Midfielder Derrick Etienne Jr. made a short pass from the top of the box to Bernardeschi, who sailed a cross to a wide-open, streaking Insigne on the left wing. He volleyed the ball directly into the net, then sprinted to the stadium’s west stand, cupping his ears to urge TFC fans to cheer louder.
The clock had been on Forge FC’s side until the goal, but with a potential 1-0 Toronto victory eliminating them from the Canadian Championship, they had to start pressing themselves.
That opened play up for both sides, with TFC almost taking a commanding two-goal lead in the 64th minute.
Etienne found an unmarked Bernardeschi inside the right side of the box. He made a quick shot past Forge ‘keeper Jassem Koleilat but it hit the far post and ricocheted away.
Five minutes later, Bernardeschi swung another cross through the box, this time from the left wing, that Owusu failed to head into the net.
Substitution Nana Opoku Ampomah almost equalized for Forge in the 79th minute. Although marked by a TFC defender in the box, he got a clean boot on a looping pass from midfield, sending it in on net. A diving Johnson punched it away, however, to maintain his clean sheet.
Etienne got another shot on target in the 85th minute, but Koleilat easily scooped it up.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
NEW YORK – Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov dropped their opening singles matches at the U.S. Open on Tuesday.
And on the women’s side, Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Quebec, didn’t do much better despite being the 23rd seed in the Grand Slam tourney.
But 22-year-old Gabriel Diallo of Montreal opened the evening session in New York City with a brilliant four-set upset over Jaume Munar of Spain in a match that took three hours, 23 minutes to play.
Diallo defeated Munar 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, recording 20 aces along the way. Diallo had 52 unforced errors compared to Munar’s 15, but the Canadian dominated in winners 39-15.
Czechia’s Jakub Mensik posted a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over the 19th-seeded Auger-Aliassime in first-round play while Shapovalov dropped a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 decision to Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands.
Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo was set to meet Spain’s Jaume Munar later Tuesday. Mensik scored his sixth break in the final game of the match, with Auger-Aliassime committing his 36th unforced error on match point.
Auger-Aliassime, from Montreal, has had a string of tough results since finishing fourth in men’s singles and teaming with Gabriela Dabrowski to win mixed-doubles bronze at the Paris Olympics.
He was drummed out in the first round of his hometown tournament at the men’s National Bank Open.
Auger-Aliassime also fell in the third round of the Cincinnati Open when his British opponent, Jack Draper, was given the call on match point despite the ball seeming to hit the ground on his side of the court before going over the net.
Shapovalov, a former top-10 player from Richmond Hill, Ont., is currently ranked No. 105 in the world.
Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist, jumped out to an early lead against Russia’s Anastasia Potapova, easily winning the first set 6-2. But the Russian rallied to win the second set 6-4 and won the deciding set 7-5.
Both players had six double faults, while Fernandez had 19 of the 47 unforced errors in the two-hour, 26-minute match.
In other women’s action, 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., was to face fifth-seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy in the evening draw.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
EDMONTON – The Insurance Bureau of Canada says the wildfire that tore through Jasper is the second-most expensive one in Alberta’s history for insured losses.
It says initial estimates suggest more than $880 million in insured damage was caused by the fire.
The 2016 wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta., resulted in inflation-adjusted insured losses of $4.4 billion and was the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history.
About 25,000 people were forced to flee Jasper National Park and the town on July 22.
The town’s 5,000 residents were allowed back more than three weeks later, though the area is still closed to visitors.
More than 350 buildings in Jasper were destroyed, representing a third of its structures.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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