New arrest in notorious gold robbery at Toronto airport

A new arrest has been made in connection with the notorious 2023 gold heist in which million dollars in gold bars were stolen at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, Canadian police said Monday.

Officers arrested and charged Arsalan Chaudhary, 43, when he arrived at the Toronto airport on Monday on a flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, police said in a news release.

Chaudhary is charged with robbery, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. He was detained for a bail hearing in Brampton, in the greater Toronto area, police said.

On April 17, 2023, a flight from Zurich, Switzerland, landed at Toronto Airport with a shipment that included approximately 400 kilograms (about 880 pounds) of .9999 pure gold bars, worth more than 20 million Canadian dollars (about 14.4 million U.S. dollars) and 2.5 million Canadian dollars in foreign currency.

The shipment was reported missing the next day from Air Canada’s warehouse.

Police soon discovered that a suspect who arrived at the warehouse with a truck and a fake air waybill had loaded the gold shipment onto the truck and stolen it.

The Peel Regional Police, responsible for the airport area, began an investigation they called “Project 24K.”

“This investigation demonstrates the dedication and expertise of Peel Regional Police in tackling complex and high-risk crimes,” Peel Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in a statement. “Project 24K is a clear example of how our officers, working alongside national and international partners, can disrupt sophisticated criminal activity and hold those responsible accountable. Let it be known: no matter where you try to flee or hide, we will find you.”

According to police, it was the largest gold robbery in Canadian history.

To date, 10 people have been accused or are wanted, and two people remain outstanding, including one subject to an 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 the truck.

So far, police have recovered less than $100,000 in melted gold and some cash.

An investigation by News themezone’ Canadian partner, CBC News’s Fifth Estate, said that based on the documents, authorities believe the heist was planned and executed by a highly organized group that relied primarily on an insider.

Police told the CBC News investigation that Chaudhary was “the most involved in planning the robbery,” described as the “Top Dog.”