Police raided a Rosedale mansion last month, arresting one woman and five men in connection with 75 stolen Australian gold bars and a fraudulent bank draft for nearly $2 million.
“The gold is still out there,” said Det.-Srgt. Cameron Field, “So everything is still in play here.” During the raid, police only uncovered one of the gold bars.
The mansion, on Mount Pleasant Road, sits near private girls’ school Branksome Hall. “We were all very surprised,” said Julia Drake, director of communications at the school, referring to the raid. “It happened very quickly.”
While the raid was going on, police took safety precautions and blocked off access to the road, which also affected access to Branksome Hall.
Nearby, Rosedale Junior Public School was put on “hold and secure”, meaning the school’s outside doors were locked and students and teachers kept inside. John Caldarone, spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board, said classes carried on just the same.
Investigation into the missing gold bars began mid-February, said Field. At the time, police received a tip off about a forged bank draft for $1,895,751 used to purchase them. The 10-ounce gold bars were originally manufactured at the Perth Mint and have imprints of kangaroos on one side. Field said he has received a number of tips from the public, but could not give more details as the investigation is ongoing.