This week, Air Canada rejected claims by Brink’s that it acted negligently when a thief made off with $23.8 million in gold and cash from its facility at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport earlier this year.
According to reports, Air Canada argued that it fulfilled its contract with the security firm by transporting the goods and rejected “each and every allegation” in the lawsuit. The airline also said that Brink’s failed to note the value of the haul and “elected not to insure” the shipment.
Although the theft remains unsolved, details about it were revealed in Brink’s statement of claims filed in Canada’s federal court system. And while court documents were not immediately available, the Substack blog A Few Tasteful Snaps summarized the initial filing in an article.
According to the post, Brink’s was hired to coordinate the shipment from Zurich, Switzerland, to Toronto using Air Canada’s service for high-value cargo. But when the plane arrived on April 17, the shipment was released to an unidentified individual who presented fraudulent documents to take possession of the shipment.
Brink’s alleges Air Canada failed to make the “necessary and appropriate inquiries in the circumstances” before releasing the cargo. The company is asking to recover reimbursement for all losses and damages caused by the theft.