'Netflix worthy': Six arrested, look out for three in what is being called Canada's biggest-ever gold heist

A year on, six people have been arrested and three more arrest warrants have been issued for suspects in a gold heist at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport's cargo facility in April 2023, AFP reported.

Termed as "the greatest gold heist in Canadian history" by officials, little of the stolen 6,600 gold bars worth Can$20 million ($15 million) has been recovered, it added. Further, Can$ 2.5 million in foreign banknotes was also stolen in the same heist.

‘Story Belongs in a Netflix Series’ 

“This story is a sensational one and one which, probably, we jokingly say, belongs in a Netflix series,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said, as per Bloomberg.

Among the suspects are two former Air Canada airport employees and a jewellery store owner - making this an "inside job", officials said. One of the accused ex-employees had at the time also given police a tour of the shipment area.

The suspects have been identified by police as men from the Toronto region, all between 25 to 54 years of age. The getaway driver also has a case against him in the United States for possession of 65 illegal firearms, as per a US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms official, the AFP report added.

Speaking to reporters in Brampton, Duraiappah said this was an inside job "carefully planned by a well-organized group of criminals."

Peel Police have seized Can$430,000, which they think came from the sale of some of the gold, and six crudely made gold bracelets worth an estimated Can$89,000. Search for the rest of the gold is still ongoing.

What Happened on April 17, 2023 — Canada's biggest-ever gold heist?

A Swiss bank hired Brink's Co. to transport the valuables from Zurich, Switzerland to Toronto, who in turn arranged for Air Canada to fly the valuables into the country. The gold weighing 400 kg was brought and securely offloaded at the cargo holding facility at Toronto Airport.

Detective Sergeant Mike Mavity told reporters that a man driving a truck arrived at the loading dock at 6.30 pm with a fraudulent air waybill to claim it, as per a Bloomberg report. Airway bills are used to track international shipments, and this one was a duplicate of a seafood shipment from the previous day.

When Brink’s employees showed up three hours later to collect the cargo, they were told it was missing.

Nine Suspects Identified, Hunt for Three Still On

The former Air Canada employee has been identified as Parmpal Sidhu (54) and was arrested and charged with theft of over C$5,000 ($3,620) and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

The other ex-employee Simran Preet Panesar (31) is facing the same charges but is yet to be arrested.

The others identified are Amit Jalota (40), Ammad Chaudhary (43), Ali Raza (37), Prasath Paramalinga (35), Archit Grover (36), Arsalan Chaudhary (42), and get-away driver Durante King-Mclean (25).

Legal Battle Rages Between Brinks Co & Air Canada

Brinks Co. and Air Canada have been entangled in a legal dispute since October 2023. The former has initiated legal action against the country's largest airline, accusing it of "negligence and carelessness." Air Canada, in response, has refuted the claims.

In a statement of defence dated November 8, Air Canada denied all allegations made by Brinks in their lawsuit, asserting that it fulfilled its contractual obligations and refuting any suggestion of improper behaviour, as per an AP report.

Additionally, Air Canada contended that Brinks failed to note the value of the shipment on the waybill. It also cited the Montreal Convention, a multilateral treaty, which would limit its liability if Brinks did incur losses.

Brinks, in filings to the Federal Court seeking damages amounting to millions of dollars for breach of contract, the AP report added. The company has alleged that an "unidentified individual" gained entry to Air Canada's cargo warehouse and presented a "fraudulent" waybill shortly after an Air Canada flight from Zurich arrived at Pearson Airport. According to Brinks' statement, the warehouse staff then released 400 kilograms of gold in 24 bars and nearly $2 million in cash to the perpetrator, who subsequently absconded with the cargo.

(With inputs from AFP, AP and Bloomberg)