BRAMPTON — The alleged mastermind behind Canada’s largest gold heist has pleaded guilty in court, admitting his role in orchestrating the dramatic $24-million theft from a cargo facility at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Arsalan Chaudhary, 44, acknowledged in a Brampton courtroom that he coordinated the April 2023 robbery and distributed proceeds using a handwritten “debt list” totaling more than $10 million.
According to court documents, Chaudhary tracked payouts that included millions allocated to associates, smaller sums for logistics like vehicles and property, and even personal payments to family members.
The heist itself unfolded with striking simplicity. A truck driver used a fake waybill for a seafood shipment to collect a container holding approximately 400 kilograms of gold — 6,600 bars of 99.9% pure bullion — along with millions in foreign currency. The shipment had arrived from Switzerland and was valued at over $22 million.
Authorities say Chaudhary coordinated closely with co-conspirators, making dozens of calls on the day of the theft and later taking possession of part of the gold at a secondary location near Milton.
In the weeks that followed, the stolen gold was reportedly melted down in a Mississauga jewelry store to convert it into cash — a move investigators say made recovery nearly impossible. Police have recovered only about $90,000 of the stolen assets.
The investigation has led to charges against 10 individuals, though two suspects — including a former airline employee — remain at large. Authorities also seized large amounts of cash and 65 illegal firearms, which investigators believe may have been purchased using proceeds from the heist.
Chaudhary was arrested in January 2026 upon returning to Canada from Dubai. In court, he pleaded guilty to theft over $5,000 and waived his right to a trial.
Prosecutors are seeking a seven-year prison sentence, citing his central role and the scale of the operation, while the defence is arguing for a four-year term, pointing to his early guilty plea and personal circumstances.
The case has captured national attention due to both the sheer value of the theft and the relatively low-tech method used to carry it out — a combination that authorities say highlights serious vulnerabilities in cargo security.
A sentencing decision is expected next month.