It’s been nearly two years since Canada’s biggest gold heist and Canadians may be shocked to know at least one of the suspects is living freely in India while others are out on bail.
A recent CBC attempt to track down suspects allegedly involved in the historic 2023 gold heist at Toronto’s Pearson airport suggests at least two of them have already left the country.
In particular, the CBC Fifth Estate documentary titled “The untold story of the biggest gold heist in Canadian history,” focused on Simran Preet Panesar, who is believed to be living freely in northern India, and Arsalan Chaudhary, who is believed to be hiding in Dubai.
Authorities identified Simran Preet Panesar – a 32-year-old Air Canada manager at the time of the heist – as an early key suspect in the brazen theft.
Panesar initially cooperated with law enforcement by guiding them through the facility after the theft, only for investigators to later accuse him of using his insider access to help execute the crime.
Police charged Panesar in June 2024 for theft over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, but by then, he’d already most likely left the country, according to numerous sources.
In July 2024, his lawyer, Greg Lafontaine, claimed Panesar planned to surrender to the police and even said his client expressed great confidence in the Canadian justice system. However, Panesar has not returned and a Canada-wide warrant remains in effect for his arrest.
Panesar is “very confident in the Canadian justice system,” Lafontaine said in a June 2024 statement to CBC News. “When this prosecution is over, he will have been absolved of any wrongdoing.”
Panesar is allegedly living in Chandigarh, India, according to the CBC investigation, which also claimed he maintains an active Instagram profile and is married to a somewhat high-profile Indo-Canadian actress living in the same area.
Meanwhile, Arsalan Chaudhary – a 42-year-old man formerly of Mississauga but now listed by police as being of “no fixed address” – is believed to be lying low in Dubai.
Chaudhary is wanted for theft over $5,000, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, and possession of property obtained by crime.
India and Dubai would’ve made ideal places for the alleged gold thieves to hide their tracks due to their large underground economies and high demand for physical gold. Once gold is melted down and sold, it is virtually untraceable.
The two destinations are also popular getaway locations for accused Canadian criminals due to the complications surrounding extradition.
The United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai, has an extradition treaty with Canada. The treaty was signed in 2002 and came into force in 2005.
However, extradition requests are handled on a case-by-case basis, and the UAE has been known to deny or delay extradition in certain circumstances, particularly for financial crimes.
Similarly, India’s complex legal system, ongoing diplomatic strife with Canada and sometimes slower judicial processes can create additional hurdles in extradition cases that might benefit someone charged with a crime in Canada.
According to crime reporter Nitin Chopra, who is heavily featured in the CBC documentary, one suspect is in U.S. custody and facing trial, while the other suspects believed to be still living in Canada are out on bail with no trial dates currently set.