One of the men wanted in connection with a $20 million gold heist at Toronto’s Pearson airport in 2023 has been taken into custody by Peel Regional Police.
Officers arrested Arsalan Chaudhary, 43, at Toronto Pearson International Airport after he flew to Toronto from Dubai on Jan. 12, nearly two years after a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest.
Peel Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said the arrest demonstrates how local officers collaborating with international law enforcement can thwart complex criminal operations.
“This investigation demonstrates the dedication and expertise of Peel Regional Police in tackling complex, high-stakes crime,” Duraiappah said in the press release. “Let it be known: no matter where you try to run or hide, we will find you.”
Duraiappah has previously described the theft as the largest gold heist in Canadian history.
Chaudhary is one of 10 suspects police say is connected to the theft.
The Crown’s statement of allegations, which was obtained by CBC’s The Fifth Estate, said Chaudhary was “the most involved in the planning of the theft” and one suspect referred to him as the heist’s “top dog.”
Seven other suspects have previously been arrested in connection with the case and two individuals remain outstanding, including one subject to an extradition request, police said.
A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for 33-year-old former Air Canada employee Simran Preet Panesar, who is believed to be in India and 36-year-old Prasath Paramalingam Paramalingam is the subject of a bench warrant after failing to appear in court on Aug. 19, 2024. Both men were living in Brampton at the time of the heist.
Gold Heist
The heist occurred on April 17, 2023, when a suspect made off with 6,600 gold bars worth CA$20 million and roughly $2.5 million in various foreign currencies from an Air Canada storage facility at Toronto Pearson airport, Det.-Sgt. Mike Mavity, major case manager for 24K, said during a 2024 press conference.The gold and money came from a refinery in Zurich, Switzerland. It had been transported on an Air Canada flight that landed in Toronto just before 4 p.m.
The cargo was moved from the plane to an Air Canada cargo facility a few hours later, where it was loaded into a five-tonne truck after the suspect presented phoney documents to Air Canada staff, he said. The suspect drove off with the goods a short time later.
The theft wasn’t discovered until the Brink’s Canada employees arrived at the Air Canada cargo site to pick up the gold.
Only $89,000 of the $20 million in stolen gold was recovered, Mavity said, adding that the gold had been melted down into bangle-style bracelets to be sold. Smelting equipment allegedly used to melt down the gold, the truck thought to be involved in the theft, and approximately $434,000 in cash were also seized by police.
The suspect believed to be the driver of the truck is currently in U.S. custody, police said. A warrant has been issued for 27-year-old Durante King-Mclean of Brampton who is wanted for multiple offences in connection with the case, including theft over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime.
Police said King-Mclean has recently pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking-related charges in the United States and is expected to be sentenced there later this year.
He was arrested after being pulled over in a rental vehicle by Pennsylvania police in September of 2023 and was charged after illegal firearms allegedly destined for Canada were found in the vehicle.
Five Ontario men were also arrested in connection with the investigation. They are Air Canada employee Parmpal Sidhu, 56, of Brampton, Amit Jalota, 42, of Oakville, Ammad Chaudhary, 45, of Georgetown, and Archit Grover, 38, of Brampton.
