A MASSIVE £12million gold haul was carried out in an audacious Ocean’s 11-style heist that saw thieves making off with an aircraft container full of bullion.
Canadian cops have been left scrambling to try and recover the precious metal, which was stolen from the country's busiest airport on Monday.
The Hollywood-style theft could go down as one of the most brazen heists the state of Ontario has ever witnessed.
Initially, sources claimed the amount of gold stolen weighed about 3,600lb, which would be worth more than £84million.
However, local authorities believe the bandits have most likely bagged about £12million worth of gold, it was reported.
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Nevertheless, the spectacular robbery at Toronto Pearson International Airport has gripped the country as investigators race the clock before the booty disappears without a trace.
According to cops, the plane carrying the goods arrived in the early evening of April 17.
The gold was then offloaded to a secure warehouse on the premises as it was in the process of being shifted to markets around the world.
But crafty crooks somehow managed to intercept the swag in the "high-value container" not long after.
The calculated criminals seized the gold and subsequently trucked it out.
Stephen Duivesteyn, a police inspector, told reporters the pricey spoils were snatched using "illegal means".
He said: "An aircraft arrived here at the airport in the early evening.
"As per normal procedure, the aircraft was unloaded and cargo was transported from the aircraft to a holding cargo facility.
"This is very rare."
Police are now desperately searching for the masterminds behind the extraordinary heist.
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No arrests are yet to be made and officials did not release any information on possible suspects.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were also drafted in to help aid the investigation.
Reports claim cops are looking into whether a local gang pulled off the robbery, which echoes the plot of Hollywood blockbusters.
Focus has now fallen on organised criminals operating in the region, according to the Toronto Sun.
Investigators suspect the thieves may have made their escape in a heavy-duty truck due to the size of the swag.
It remains unclear how the gold was stolen from inside the airport.
In a brief statement, a Greater Toronto Airport Authority spokesman said: "As this is an active police investigation, we are unable to provide any comments regarding the matter at this time."
The incident has drawn comparisons to the infamous Brinks-Mat robbery in 1983, where £26million of gold and diamond was stolen from a warehouse near Heathrow Airport.
Micky McAvoy and Brian Robinson led the risky raid that recently inspired a BBC drama, The Gold.
The money made from the three tonnes of stolen gold - worth £100million today - made its way through Europe and the US, and was even funnelled through Pablo Escobar’s huge drug empire in Columbia.
Half of the gold is still missing - seeing some claim that anyone who has bought gold jewellery in the UK since is probably wearing Brink's-Mat metal.