Key witness links sentenced thief to defendant in Toronto Pearson gold robbery trial

In the ongoing trial of Parmpal Sidhu for the 2023 Toronto Pearson Airport gold heist, convicted accomplice Arsalan Chaudhary resumed his testimony after a brief interruption. Chaudhary, sentenced to four years and ordered to repay $22 million, said he notified Sidhu that the truck and driver were ready on the day of the theft, and Sidhu responded with “OK.” He also reiterated that he had planned the robbery with another still-at-large individual and had taken about 30 percent of the gold boxes, later melting some before being kidnapped in Pakistan.

Prosecutors claim Sidhu, then working for Air Canada, provided a forged waybill that allowed the illicit pickup of more than $22 million in gold bars and currency from a cargo bay. Peel Regional Police reported that 6,600 gold bars weighing over 400 kg were stolen after arriving from Switzerland on April 17, 2023.