A young man has been arrested in connection with the Toronto airport gold heist
A new arrest has been made in connection with the notorious 2023 gold heist case gold nuggets worth millions of dollars were stolen from Toronto Pearson Airport, Canadian police said Monday.
Police arrested and charged Arsalan Chaudhary, 43, when he arrived at Toronto Airport on Monday on a flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, police said in a statement.
Chaudhary is charged with theft, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. He was held for a bail hearing in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto, police said.
On April 17, 2023, a flight from Zurich, Switzerland, landed at the Toronto airport carrying cargo that included approximately 400 kilograms (about 880 kilograms) of .9999 pure gold bars, worth more than 20 million Canadian dollars (about 14.4 million US dollars, 5 million US dollars), and Canadian foreign currency.
The shipment was reported missing the next day at an Air Canada warehouse.
The police soon discovered that the suspect who arrived at the warehouse with a truck and a fake airway loaded the gold goods into the truck and then stole it.
Peel Regional Police, responsible for the airport area, began an investigation they called “Project 24K.”
“This investigation demonstrates the dedication and expertise of the Peel Regional Police in tackling serious crime,” Peel Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in a statement. “Project 24K is a clear example of how our officers, working together with our national and international partners, can disrupt complex criminal activities and arrest those responsible. Let it be known: no matter where you try to run or hide, we will find you.”
According to the police, it was the largest gold bull in Canadian history.
So far, 10 people they were charged or wanted, and two people remain pending, including one subject in the extradition request who is believed to be in India.
One of the suspects, Durante King-Mclean, was arrested in Pennsylvania in 2023, accused of driving a truck.
The police have recovered only a small portion of the gold and some cash so far.
“We can confirm that the investigators found approximately one kilogram of .9999% gold, which was maliciously made into bangles,” the police said in a statement. “In addition, we have seized approximately $450,000 CAD, which we believe represents a portion of the proceeds of this illegal activity.”
They said the investigation indicated that the gold was shipped overseas from Canada “to markets in India and/or Dubai, where it was melted down and brought back to the market for profit.”
An investigation by CBS News’ Canadian partner, CBC News’s Fifth Estate, says that based on documents, authorities believe the robbery was planned and executed by an organized group that relied heavily on an insider.
Police told a CBC News investigation that Chaudhary was “very involved in planning the theft,” described as “Top Dog.”
