By KyawSoe Oo and Ismail Shakil

BRAMPTON, Ontario, April 17 (Reuters) - Canadian and

U.S. authorities said on Wednesday six people have been arrested

and three more are being sought in connection with what they

called the largest gold heist in Canadian history -- a cargo of

over C$22 million ($16 million) in gold and currency.

The suspects, including two Air Canada ( ACDVF ) employees, forged an

airway bill to steal a cargo arriving from Switzerland of 6,600

gold bars weighing 400 kg (882 pounds) and C$2.5 million in

foreign currency, police officials said.

Speaking exactly one year after the heist, which took place

at an Air Canada ( ACDVF ) cargo facility at the Toronto Pearson

International Airport, Peel regional police at a press briefing

named the nine suspects and detailed the 19 charges they face.

Five suspects were arrested in Canada and released on bail

pending trial. One suspect, originally from Brampton, Ontario,

was arrested in Pennsylvania along with firearms and remains in

custody in the United States. Canada-wide warrants have been

issued for the remaining three suspects, police said.

Air Canada ( ACDVF ) said it had suspended one cargo division employee

charged in the theft while the other, who worked in the same

department at the time of the heist, had left the airline before

the charges were announced.

"As this is now before the courts, we are limited in our

ability to comment further," Air Canada ( ACDVF ) said in a statement.

Investigators from the Peel regional police, working with

the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,

recovered one kg of gold (2.2 pounds) and about C$434,000 in

Canadian currency.

"We believe that they've melted down the gold and then the

profits they got from the gold, they used to help finance the

firearms," Detective Sergeant Mike Mavity said.

Police also recovered some 65 firearms that investigators

allege were purchased with the proceeds from the theft.

Following the heist, Miami-based transport and security

services provider Brinks sued Air Canada ( ACDVF ) in October,

alleging "negligence and carelessness" by the airline.

Brinks had been hired by Swiss bank Raiffeisen Schweiz and

precious metals refining company Valcambi to move the valuables

from Zurich to Toronto.

($1 = 1.3798 Canadian dollars)