Police Make Numerous Arrests, Lay 19 Charges in $22.5M Pearson Airport Gold Robbery
According to authorities, two Air Canada employees purportedly held pivotal positions in the theft of approximately $22.5 million worth of gold and cash from Toronto Pearson International Airport last spring. Peel Regional Police, in collaboration with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), disclosed during a press briefing on Wednesday that their extensive investigation has resulted in several arrests, 19 charges, and the seizure of a significant cache of firearms intended for Canada.
Detective Sergeant Mike Mavity, the lead investigator, described the audacious theft from an Air Canada cargo facility as the largest gold heist in Canadian history. He revealed that two individuals employed by the airline played crucial roles in orchestrating the operation.
One of these employees, Parmpal Sidhu, a 54-year-old resident of Brampton, Ontario, employed in the warehouse, has been apprehended and charged with theft exceeding $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offense. Meanwhile, authorities have issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Simran Preet Panesar, aged 31, also from Brampton. Mavity disclosed that Panesar served as a manager and guided law enforcement through the cargo facility following the theft, subsequently resigning from Air Canada last summer.
The Method Behind the $22.5M Gold and Cash Theft at Pearson Airport
Authorities have apprehended several individuals and filed 19 charges in connection with a multimillion-dollar gold theft at Pearson airport last year. Peel Regional Police Detective Sergeant Mike Mavity revealed that the suspect accessed an Air Canada storage facility utilizing an airway bill—a document commonly issued by carriers detailing shipments—for a seafood delivery collected the day before.
Peter Fitzpatrick, spokesperson for Air Canada, verified that two of the individuals identified by the police were indeed employed by Air Canada in the cargo division at the time of the theft.
One left the company prior to the arrests announced today and the second has been suspended,
he said. As this is now before the courts, we are limited in our ability to comment further.
Brink’s Canada, the cash handling company responsible for transporting the gold and currency upon its arrival at Pearson, has filed a lawsuit against Air Canada for the losses incurred during the heist. Air Canada, however, has denied any wrongdoing or liability in its statement of defense, refuting all claims made in the Brink’s lawsuit.
The theft, which occurred on the evening of April 17, 2023, involved the disappearance of 400 kilograms of pure gold valued at approximately $20 million CAD, along with about $2.5 million in various foreign currencies from the cargo compound shortly after their arrival on a flight from Zurich.
An individual driving a five-tonne delivery truck accessed the compound and entered the warehouse by presenting a genuine airway bill—a document typically issued by a carrier detailing shipment information. The gold and currency were then loaded onto the truck, and the driver departed the compound.
Subsequent investigation revealed that the airway bill used was a duplicate of a document previously used for a seafood shipment delivered a day earlier, according to statements from Detective Sergeant Mavity. It was printed within the Air Canada facility.
Law enforcement, utilizing security footage from various sources, reconstructed part of the driver’s route before losing sight of the truck in north Milton, as detailed by Mavity.
The driver, identified as 25-year-old Durante King-Mclean, is presently in police custody in the U.S. following his arrest during a September traffic stop in rural Pennsylvania. Peel police reported the discovery of 65 firearms in his rental car, including two modified to be fully automatic and five untraceable ghost guns lacking serial numbers, in a news release regarding the arrests. Mavity and the ATF assert that these firearms were intended for Canada.
Another individual implicated in the Pearson heist, 35-year-old Prasath Paramalingam, is sought by U.S. authorities. Prosecutors in Pennsylvania allege that Paramalingam provided funds utilized by King-Mclean to purchase the firearms, according to court documents.
Peel police have charged Paramalingam with accessory after the fact of an indictable offense, while a U.S. grand jury has indicted him on charges of firearms trafficking, aiding and abetting, and conspiracy.
An arrest warrant has been issued by Peel police for King-Mclean, who is wanted in Ontario for theft exceeding $5,000 and possession of proceeds from a crime.
Guns Seized in Relation to Airport Heist Investigation
Police leading the investigation into the multimillion-dollar gold heist at Pearson airport last year have seized a minimum of 65 firearms destined for import into Canada in connection with the case, authorities reveal. Peel Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah emphasized that the $22.5M investigation holds significant implications for community safety.
Over the past year, the task force has executed 37 search warrants linked to the heist inquiry, Detective Sergeant Mavity disclosed. These searches yielded $430,000 in cash, six pure gold bracelets valued at approximately $89,000, as well as smelting equipment, casts, and molds.
“We suspect the gold has been melted down and reintroduced into both local and international markets,” stated Mavity.
Furthermore, investigators uncovered two “debt lists,” commonly associated with drug trafficking investigations. One list amounts to $10.23 million, while the other totals $9.94 million, according to Mavity.
We believe these lists actually show where the money was distributed when the gold was sold by the suspects,
he said, adding they contained line items for trips, basic supplies and personal items.
Other individuals arrested and charged in connection with the case are as follows:
- Amit Jalota, aged 40, residing in Oakville, Ontario, faces charges including two counts of possession of property obtained by crime, theft exceeding $5,000, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offense.
- Ammad Chaudhary, aged 43, from Georgetown, Ontario, is charged with accessory after the fact of an indictable offense.
- Ali Raza, aged 37, from Toronto, a proprietor of a jewelry store, is charged with possession of property obtained by crime.
All individuals allegedly implicated in the theft and arrested in Ontario were released on bail under specified conditions.
Additionally, Canada-wide arrest warrants have been issued for:
- Archit Grover, aged 36, hailing from Brampton, sought for theft exceeding $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offense. He is also wanted in the U.S. for a firearms trafficking-related offense, according to Peel police.
- Arsalan Chaudhary, aged 32, residing in Mississauga, wanted for theft exceeding $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offense.
