Former Air Canada employee Simran Preet Panesar is a wanted man in Canada in connection with the 2023 Pearson gold heist but his lawyer says he can't come to Canada because India won't allow him to leave.
In 2023, more than $20 million worth of gold was stolen from Toronto Pearson International Airport in what went down in history as Canada's largest gold heist. On April 17, 2023, a cargo shipment arrived at Pearson from Zurich containing approximately 400 kg of .9999-pure gold. After the shipment was unloaded and kept at a location on the airport premises, it went missing within a day. Investigators launched Project 24K to bust the heist and nine people were charged. It was revealed that insiders were hand in glove with the heist and a former Air Canada employee, Simran Preet Panesar, was 'wanted' in Canada. As he was reported to be in India, Canada requested Panesar's arrest and extradition from India.
Simran Preet Panesar can't leave India, report says
A National Post report said that Panesar can't return to Canada to face trial because Indian authorities won't let him leave over suspicions that he brought his loot to India to secretly sell. National Post obtained documents from India which said Panesar has been living in India after resigning from Air Canada after the heist. India suspects that a large postion of the stolen gold had been melted down and sold in markets that are flushed with gold such as India or Dubai, the report said. "Investigation is required to be conducted to ascertain the total proceeds of crime generated, layered, and integrated in the form of movable and immovable properties and identify all the persons/entities who is involved or knowingly assisted," a report by India's Enforcement Directorate, as obtained by National Post, said.
'He is not a fugitive'
Panesar's lawyer in Canada told Post that he is not a fugitive as everyone knows he is in India. "If he's hiding, he's hiding in plain daylight," Greg Lafontaine said in an interview. "He's in India. He's always said he's in India. We've never kept that back." Lafontaine said Panesar was in India working on a movie project. The ED report said he is producing music videos with his wife and managing a recording business. Lafontaine said Panesar can't come to Canada as he is dealing with the Indian legal system. "He's not a fugitive. He didn't flee from anything. He was there, doing his thing for a period of months before the charges were laid. He's been portrayed as actively avoiding coming to Canada, which is far from the truth."
List of 9 people charged in the case
Parmpal Sidhu: Former Air Canada employee. He was charged in connection with the theft.
Amit Jalota: Oakville man. His charges were withdrawn in September 2026, according to his lawyer, and he had maintained his innocence.
Ammad Chaudhary: Georgetown man who was charged in the case.
Ali Raza: Toronto jewellery-store owner. His charges were also withdrawn in September 2026.
Prasath Paramalingam: Brampton man. He remains wanted after failing to appear in court; police issued a bench warrant.
Simran Preet Panesar: Former Air Canada employee who allegedly worked for the airline at the time of the theft. Police say he remains wanted on a Canada-wide warrant and is believed to be in India.
Archit Grover: Brampton man who was arrested at Pearson after arriving from India and charged with theft over $5,000 and conspiracy.
Arsalan Chaudhary: Arrested at Pearson on January 12, 2026, after arriving from Dubai. He faces charges including theft over $5,000, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime and conspiracy.
Durante King-Mclean: Brampton man alleged by police to have been involved in taking the cargo. He was arrested in the US in a separate firearms case and remains subject to a Canadian warrant related to the gold theft.
