Gold Heist: WestJet Pilot's $21K Loss

0:00It's April 23rd, welcome in. This is Calgary News Today, where local news meets AI. A West Ship pilot in Calgary named Roberto Pere, just got hit with a slick theft $21,000 worth of gold from a Costco order vanished. Bright under his nose, he bought a one ounce Canadian Maple Leaf coin on February 27th and two one ounce Lunar New Year bars earlier that month. But the packages never made it home while he was flying stops in Winnipeg and Minneapolis. Tracking showed the first shipment leaving Mississauga on February 23rd, with a delivery photo at his front door on February 25th. Marked as signed for by him at a nearby staple store, the second package hit the same spot on March 2nd, grabbed by the same impersonator who signed Pere's name, described by staff as a black man, caught clear on surveillance, Pere's furious, calling it his first issue after years of safe buys and he's pointing fingers at an inside job with FedEx or Costco staff since the D, plain wrapped boxes scream organization.

1:04He reported it to Calgary police who confirmed they're digging in and know of copycat hits in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. Company stay tight-lipped, Costco ghosted, FedEx pushed claims and cops, staples said police are on it. But Mastercard hooked him up with a temporary refund pending their probe into Costco. Motor buyers vented similar gripes online, amid gold prices jumping 41% last year alone. Experts like security pros and criminologists warn this fits a rising wave of gold grabs with fees melting it down untraceable for black market, flips. Just like that massive 400kg Pearson airport heist a few years back, making high value hobbies riskier than ever.