Gold worth Rs 180 crore stolen from Canadian airport, 7 accused arrested; Indian link also emerges

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Police in Peel, Canada, on Monday arrested another suspect in connection with Project 24K, an investigation linked to the theft of gold worth more than 20 million dollars (around Rs 180 crore). The case is being described as the largest gold theft in Canada’s history. The accused, 43-year-old Arsalan Chaudhry, was arrested at Toronto Pearson International Airport after arriving on a flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Police said Chaudhry has no fixed address.

The massive theft took place on April 17, 2023, when a flight from Zurich, Switzerland, landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport carrying a shipment of around 400 kilograms of .9999-purity gold. The consignment included nearly 6,600 gold bars valued at over 20 million dollars, along with foreign currency worth 2.5 million dollars.

After the cargo was unloaded, it was moved to a separate holding area within the airport premises. However, within a few hours, officials discovered that the shipment had gone missing. Following this, police launched a cross-border investigation into the case.

So far, ten individuals have been identified in connection with the theft, with charges laid or arrest warrants issued against them. Among the accused is 33-year-old Simran Preet Panesar, a resident of Brampton and a former Air Canada employee. Panesar is accused of manipulating airline systems to identify the gold shipment and helping divert it from its intended route.