‘Most wanted’ suspect arrested in million-dollar heist near Pearson Airport in Mississauga
Published May 3, 2022 at 11:20 am
A man who’s been hunted by police for more than a year in connection with a violent “million-dollar heist” at an ATM-filling business near Pearson Airport in Mississauga has been arrested.
Emmanuel Rawson, 22, of Toronto, was arrested last Friday by Toronto Police, three days after being identified as No. 23 on a first-ever list of Canada’s 25 Most Wanted suspects.
Through the nationwide BOLO program, a reward of up to $50,000 had been offered for information leading to Rawson’s arrest in connection with the April 1, 2021 armed robbery of the Carlingview Dr./Dixon Rd. area business, which refills privately-owned ATM machines.
He’s facing a number of charges, including robbery with a firearm, possession of property obtained by crime and disguise with intent.
A Mississauga woman was among seven people arrested last year in connection with the same heist, which occurred just to the east of Pearson Airport and was captured on surveillance video.
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In a sweeping investigation dubbed Project Heavy Bag, Toronto Police late in 2021 recovered eight handguns, body armour, high-capacity firearm magazines and numerous rounds of ammunition, and large amounts of cocaine and cash.
In revealing details of the probe, which began in the wake of the April 1 armed robbery, investigators with Toronto’s Holdup Squad said at the time they were still on the hunt for another suspect, which was Rawson.
Police said last year that the ATM business was targeted by two armed men who forced an employee at gunpoint to give them access to the location. The culprits then assaulted a second employee and ordered the two victims to open the safes, then forced them to the ground, police say.
The men loaded garbage bags with an estimated $1 million in cash before fleeing in a waiting car.
Some six weeks later, on May 17, police recovered $160,000 of the stolen money after responding to an attempted home invasion call in the Kipling Ave./Steeles Ave. area of Toronto.
The seven arrests were subsequently made last September.
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