(Adds comment from airport authority, paragraph 5,6)
By Nia Williams
April 20 (Reuters) - Canadian police are investigating
the theft of a C$20 million ($14.84 million) cargo of gold and
other valuables that was stolen from a holding facility at
Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The cargo was reported missing after arriving on an aircraft
early Monday evening, Peel Regional Police Inspector Stephen
Duivesteyn told a news conference on Thursday.
Duivesteyn said after the aircraft landed the cargo was
unloaded and taken to a holding facility, in line with normal
procedure, but disappeared some time afterwards.
"Subsequent to its arrival this high value cargo was removed
by illegal means from the holding facility," Duivesteyn said.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) said it was
aware of the theft, adding that the thieves accessed the public
side of a warehouse leased to a third party, outside the GTAA's
primary security line.
The theft "did not involve access to Toronto Pearson itself
and did not pose a threat to passengers or GTAA staff", the GTAA
said in a statement late on Thursday.
The cargo was reported missing to police a short time later.
Duivesteyn would not say where the aircraft carrying the
cargo had come from, or its final destination.
"This is very rare," he said.
($1 = 1.3476 Canadian dollars)
(Reporting by Nia Williams; additional reporting by Yana Gaur;
Editing by Chris Reese, Robert Birsel)
Messaging: nia.williams.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
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