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Airline employees face charges over Canada’s biggest gold bullion heist
Exactly a year since it happened, police believe they have mostly solved Canada’s biggest ever gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
They say it was an inside job with two Air Canada workers facing charges.
There are nine suspects with six currently detained.
The $15 million heist of 6,600 gold bars weighing 400kg and foreign currency was the biggest robbery of its kind in Canada.
“They needed people within Air Canada to facilitate this theft,” said Detective Sergeant Mike Mavity.
Three people named as suspects haven’t yet been apprehended.
The two airline employees are a warehouse worker and a former manager.
Police investigators worked with the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in the investigation called ‘Project 24 Karat’
So far, they have recovered 1kg of gold worth about $65,000 and about C$434,000 in cash.
Those arrested and later bailed are Air Canada employee Parmpal Sidhu, jewelery store owner Ali Raza, 37, Amit Jalota, 40, from Oakville, Ontario, Ammad Chaudhary, 43, from Georgetown, Ontario and Prasath Paramalingam, 35, from Brampton.
Durante King-Mclean, who was allegedly the truck driver who transported the gold from an airport warehouse is in custody in the US.
Former Air Canada manager Simran Preet Panesar, Archit Grover, and Arsalan Chaudhary are the three suspects still at large.
In April 2023, a flight from Switzerland landed at Pearson Airport carrying the gold and $1.8 million in cash.
Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said: “One employee left the company prior to the arrests and the second has been suspended.”
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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