Toronto Airport Gold Heist: $1M to Boss, Arsalan Chaudhary Pleads Guilty

Toronto Airport Gold Heist: $1M to Boss, Arsalan Chaudhary Pleads Guilty

In 2023, the Toronto Pearson Airport experienced a significant gold heist. Arsalan Chaudhary, accused of masterminding the theft of over 6,600 gold bars valued at $22.5 million, pleaded guilty to a related $20 million theft.

Two Air Canada employees were involved in handing over the cargo to the wrong individuals who presented fake bills. Three years after the incident, Chaudhary admitted to the heist in court, revealing details of how the proceeds were distributed among various individuals, including his 'boss' who received $1 million.

A handwritten debt list found in Chaudhary's apartment outlined the distribution, with an unidentified group receiving a $5-million payout, $250,000 for a condo, and other amounts for a driver and parents. The gold was melted and sold in Mississauga, with police recovering only about $90,000 of the gold.

The getaway driver fled to the US and was later arrested after a traffic stop near Harrisburg, Penn., where 65 handguns were seized. Chaudhary claimed his brother knew nothing about the escape.