Indian-Origin Men Arrested in Canada’s Largest Heist: Unfolding of the Incident

The heist plan revolved around individuals who worked for Air Canada and were reminiscent of a crime thriller script. It unfolded at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, leaving investigators to handle a complex multimillion-dollar puzzle. The modus operandi of the heist involved forged paperwork to gain access to the precious cargo, which was intended for secure storage within the airport premises before reaching its final destinations.

However, surveillance footage captured the moment when a truck, driven by one of the accused, loaded the container filled with gold bars and banknotes, causing the valuable cargo to vanish, setting off a chain of events that would reverberate across borders. Individuals employed by Air Canada, the country’s flag carrier, were at the center of the heist plan, with former and current employees, including Parmpal Sidhu and Simran Preet Panesar, allegedly playing key roles in facilitating the theft. Arrests were made, warrants were issued, and a network of connections began to unravel, revealing a labyrinthine network of individuals, some of Indian origin, involved in the crime.

The saga continued with police from both the US and Canada joining forces to unravel a nexus between the stolen gold and an illegal firearms trafficking operation. The arrest of Durante King-Mclean in the US exposed a parallel criminal network, revealing ties between the gold thieves and a scheme to smuggle firearms into Canada. Evidence suggested that the stolen gold had been melted down and transformed into other forms, such as jewelry, in an attempt to conceal its origins.

In total, seven individuals were arrested after a year-long investigation.