Peel Regional Police have arrested five people, issued four arrest warrants, and laid 19 charges in connection with last year’s $20-million Toronto Pearson Airport gold heist.
The arrests were announced on April 17, the one-year anniversary of the daring theft that Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah described as the largest gold heist in Canadian history, saying it was sensational enough to be the subject of a “Netflix series.”
Project 24K, the joint task force formed with the U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau to investigate the “carefully-planned” heist, also intercepted a “large quantity of firearms” intended for import into Canada, Chief Duraiappah said during the early morning press conference.
Three Canada-wide warrants have also been issued by Peel police, one of which is for the arrest of a former Air Canada worker from Brampton, Ont.
Detective Sergeant Mike Mavity, major case manager for 24K, alleged the two airline employees played major roles in pulling off the theft.
One of the employees worked as a manager for Air Canada, Det.-Sgt. Mavity said, adding that he had led “a tour” of the cargo facility for the officers investigating the theft.
6,600 Gold Bars Stolen
The heist occurred last April 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.The gold and money came from a refinery in Zurich, Switzerland. It was 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, Det.-Sgt. Mavity said. Brink’s has since filed a lawsuit against Air Canada over the stolen cargo.
Only $89,000 of the $20 million in stolen gold was recovered, Det.-Sgt. Mavity said, adding that the gold had been melted down into bangle-style bracelets to be sold. Smelting equipment, the truck thought to be involved in the theft, and approximately $434,000 Canadian currency were also seized by police.
“We believe this money is some of the profits the suspects made when they sold the gold,” Det.-Sgt. Mavity said.
Lists found at two separate locations allegedly “show where the money was distributed when the gold was sold by the suspects,” he added. One of the lists had a total of $10.23 million, while the other came out at $9.94 million.
The suspect believed to be the driver of the truck is currently in U.S. custody on firearms trafficking-related charges, police said. A warrant has been issued for 25-year-old Durante King-Mclean of Brampton who is wanted on multiple offences in connection with the case, including theft over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime.
Mr. King-Mclean was arrested after being pulled over in a rental vehicle by Pennsylvania police last September. He was charged in connection with illegal firearms allegedly being found in the vehicle.
Special Agent Eric DeGree with the U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau in Pennsylvania told reporters Mr. King-Mclean was in the U.S. illegally and law enforcement believed the confiscated firearms had been destined for Canada.
Five Ontario men have also been arrested in connection with the investigation. They are 54-year-old Air Canada employee Parmpal Sidhu of Brampton, Amit Jalota, 40, of Oakville, Ammad Chaudhary, 43, of Georgetown, and Prasath Paramalingam, 35 of Brampton.
The men have all been charged, released from custody, and are to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton at a later date.
Canada-wide warrants have been issued for former Air Canada employee Simran Preet Panesar, 31, and 36-year-old Archit Grover, both of Brampton, and Arsalan Chaudhary, 42, of Mississauga.
