Simran Preet Panesar, a former Air Canada manager of Indian origin, has been found living quietly on the outskirts of Chandigarh, India. He is wanted in connection with Canada’s largest gold and cash heist, which involved the theft of over 22 million Canadian dollars’ worth of gold bars and foreign currency from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on April 17, 2023. The heist was executed using fake paperwork to steal an air cargo container from a secure storage facility.
The stolen cargo, which had arrived on an Air Canada flight from Zurich, Switzerland, contained 6,600 bars of .9999 pure gold, weighing 400 kg, valued at over 20 million Canadian dollars, along with 2.5 million Canadian dollars in foreign currency. The theft was reported to the police a day later, leading to the arrest of six individuals, including Indian-origin men Archit Grover, Parmpal Sidhu, Amit Jalota, Ammad Chaudhary, Ali Raza, and Prasath Paramalingam. Canada-wide warrants were issued for Panesar and Arsalan Chaudhary from Mississauga.
Panesar, who had been evading authorities, was tracked down by The Indian Express in collaboration with CBC News: The Fifth Estate. He was found living in a rented accommodation with his family, including his wife, Preety Panesar, a former Miss India Uganda, singer, and actor. Despite being approached by The Indian Express, Panesar refused to speak on record, citing legal and safety concerns. Reports suggest that he was expected to surrender to the police in June 2024, but this did not occur.
During the investigation, Canadian police seized one kilogram of gold (worth approximately 89,000 Canadian dollars), smelting equipment, and around 434,000 Canadian dollars in currency believed to be linked to the heist. The case remains one of the most significant thefts in Canadian history, and Panesar’s involvement continues to be a focal point of the ongoing investigation.