‘I did everything for nothing’: Pearson Airport gold heist ringleader says fortune lost

The mastermind of the spectacular Toronto airport gold heist lost his share of the loot after fleeing to Pakistan, where he said he was kidnapped by police, blindfolded and tortured until he told them where he hid his gold and cash.

Sign In or Create an Account

“I did everything for nothing,” Arsalan Chaudhary, 43, of Mississauga, Ont., testified Tuesday as a reluctant witness in court in Brampton, Ont.

Chaudhary said he was the man behind the gold heist, along with an inside man who worked with Air Canada, but after they split the stolen gold and cash, worth more than $22 million, he left Canada for Pakistan, where he was grabbed by men in police uniforms.

Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

While he was in captivity and suffering torture and threatened with death, he was connected by FaceTime video calls to his kidnappers’ colleagues in Canada; he told them where to go to get his stash of gold hidden in a Toronto-area condo, and then to his family’s home to collect his cash.

“Before they could do anything further, I pretty much told them, ‘I’ll give you everything. You don’t need to do anything. You have me. My life is worth more than any money.’ They had their people go where the gold was, and they got the cash and the gold, everything.”

Once they had his loot, a hood was pulled over his head and driven from the small room where he had been held. When the car stopped, he said he was told to stay down and count to 30 before looking up or they would shoot him.

Chaudhary was asked by Crown prosecutor Jelena Vlacic how he felt at that point.

“I was just thankful to be alive,” he said, “and I wanted to get the F out of Pakistan ASAP.

“All of this was not even worth it. I destroyed people’s lives. I did everything for nothing.”

Chaudhary is the star witness at the trial for an alleged co-accused in the gold heist, Parmpal Sidhu, a former Air Canada employee in the cargo warehouse where the crate of gold and cash was stolen in 2023 shortly after arriving on a flight from Zurich, Switzerland.

Although the trial is for Sidhu, who has pleaded not guilty to theft over $5,000 and conspiracy, Chaudhary said the Air Canada employee who was the key inside man at the cargo warehouse who he planned the heist with was Simran Preet Panesar, who is a wanted fugitive in the case, and believed to be living in India.

Chaudhary said that Panesar was in charge of getting the crate of gold and cash out of the cargo warehouse, and Chaudhary was in charge of handling it once it got out.

Chaudhary said he followed the truck that had collected the crate after Air Canada insiders redirected the cargo, as it headed north from the airport.

At a farm, which he said he couldn’t remember where, he, Panesar and the driver divided the loot with Chaudhary taking 30 per cent of the gold.

Chaudhary is in custody, serving his sentence at Maplehurst Correctional Complex, and was escorted into court by a police officer. He walked with casual confidence, almost a swagger.

His testimony was jagged, peppered frequently with him saying he didn’t recall key elements, such as most names and places, times and dates. He said he had post-traumatic stress disorder from his ordeal.

He said he was not testifying willingly, only after being served a subpoena by the Crown.

He pleaded guilty to theft over $5,000 in March and in April was sentenced to four years.

Chaudhary’s testimony continues today, and Sidhu’s trial continues for several days.

More to come.

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.