The Inside Job
Multiple arrests and charges have been laid after $20 million in gold bars vanished from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport one year ago. Police are now calling it an inside job.
The Heist
Footage shows $20 million in gold bars being stolen with ease. The suspect arrived at Air Canada cargo driving a 5-ton truck. Carrying a fraudulent airway bill, the suspect approached the warehouse. The forged papers were printed at the Air Canada cargo hangar by an Air Canada employee. Subsequently, a forklift arrived with a container of gold and foreign currency, which was then loaded into the rear of the suspect’s truck. The suspect then made a clean getaway.
Project 24 Karat
Brinks Canada discovered the gold was missing when they arrived at the warehouse later that evening. Thus, Project 24 Karat was launched. Investigators tracked the truck’s path and started conducting search warrants, interviewing people, and making arrests along the way.
The Arrests
Five suspects, including Par Paul Sidu, a 54-year-old man from Brampton and an Air Canada employee, were arrested. Another Air Canada employee allegedly involved in the heist is wanted on a Canada-wide arrest warrant along with two others. Simran Prit Panar, the manager of the Air Canada cargo hangar where the gold was stolen from, was known to investigators early on in the case. In fact, he had led a tour for Peel Regional Police before his involvement was discovered.
The Crime
You’re probably expecting to see a pile of gold bricks. I know we were when we got to the press conference, but really the only evidence that remains of this heist at this police warehouse is the truck that was used and it’s completely empty. This isn’t about the gold that was melted down a long time ago.
Recovery of Evidence
A Toronto jeweler is among the arrested, police say some of the gold was made into crude bracelets. More than $889,000 worth of those have been recovered by investigators. The rest of the loot was sold and the money used to purchase and traffic guns. Remember the driver, while allegedly on the run, he was pulled over in Pennsylvania for a traffic violation. Last September, he was arrested after police discovered six guns in his car. They say were destined to be trafficked in Canada. Those 65 firearms, definitely not in the hands of somebody saved lives without a doubt.
Impact on Society
So it’s not just a theft of cargo. This is a dotted line to people’s well-being anywhere in this country, wherever those firearms ended up. While the Swiss bank the gold belonged to considers the case closed, Project 24 Karat continues.
Ongoing Investigation
Canada-wide arrest warrants are out for three more suspects, including the former Air Canada warehouse manager, Ali Chasson, CBC News, Brampton. For more on this investigation, we are joined now by Bruce Pit Payne. He is a retired BC RCMP sergeant and Major Crimes investigator.
The Great Job Done by Peel Regional Police and Other Agencies
We reach him tonight in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, so thanks for coming on, this is an absolutely wild case. Kudos and applause to Peel Regional Police and the other agencies that worked with them. This is a great job that they’ve done. It may seem like a long time but for a major case like this a year isn’t that much. Well done to them.
Length of Investigation and Arrests
Peel Regional Police announced earlier that six people were arrested in connection to this, but it’s been a year since the heist took place. Why has it taken this long to be at the point of making these arrests? Well, if you look at the public interest with an investigation, it doesn’t serve anybody to have an investigation that is done halfway. It has to be done very well or the charges don’t go ahead, and then they don’t get through in court. It’s best to have a lot of patience and do the job properly, despite some of the expectations from outside of the police world, so that restraint is remarkable in itself that they didn’t pull the pin so to speak early.
Legal Standards for Arrest
We have to remember as well that arresting somebody is based on reasonable grounds, reasonable probable grounds, that’s a lower standard than the charge approval standard. They use the term either substantial likelihood of conviction or reasonable likelihood of conviction.
The Investigation Begins
At the onset of the investigation into the largest gold heist in Canadian history, there were many assumptions and speculations. Initially, it was believed to be an inside job, with the involvement of individuals within Air Canada. The police obtained video footage from various routes, tracing the truck carrying the stolen gold to a certain location.
A Complex Investigation Unfolds
As the investigation progressed, the police were able to uncover a more nefarious plot involving at least two individuals who were Air Canada employees. They linked a printer to a fake waybill for expensive seafood, which was used as a cover-up for the gold heist. In total, the police executed 37 search warrants as part of this intricate investigation.
Connections to Weapons Trafficking Ring
Interestingly, the gold heist was found to be connected to an alleged weapons trafficking ring in the United States. This revelation shed light on the interconnected nature of criminal activities, highlighting the fact that such incidents are often just the tip of the iceberg.
Transnational Organized Crime
What we should take from this is that it’s a really good example of transnational organized crime. These criminal activities can include human smuggling, drug smuggling, firearm trafficking, and money laundering. These pose significant dangers to Canada, and it is important for those with power and money to pay attention to this threat. The RCMP should be given proper funding and jurisdiction to prevent such organized criminal activities before they occur.
Unaccounted Suspects
Despite the progress in the investigation, arrest warrants are still out for two unaccounted suspects. It raises the question of where the investigation will go from here. It will entail a lot of disclosure in a case like this, as evidence needs to be fairly and frankly disclosed to the defense. The involvement of numerous defense lawyers will make this a massive undertaking. Efforts will now focus on locating and apprehending the suspects who are currently on the run in Canada.
Challenges Ahead
Locating the fugitives may involve a stroke of luck, such as a random police stop or a tip from someone. The more difficult challenge may lie in the extradition process, particularly if one of the suspects is in the US. Extradition proceedings can be complex and time-consuming, often requiring diplomatic efforts to ensure the suspect is brought back to Canada to face justice.
