Prosecutors allege former Air Canada employee Parmpal Sidhu helped facilitate the theft of gold and foreign currency worth more than C$22 million from Pearson Airport in 2023
The trial of Punjab-origin man Parmpal Sidhu, accused of playing an insider role in one of Canada’s largest gold heists, has begun in Brampton, Ontario. Sidhu has pleaded not guilty to charges of theft over C$5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
Prosecutors allege that Sidhu, who worked for Air Canada at the time, used his access to help release a shipment containing thousands of gold bars and foreign currency from Toronto Pearson International Airport in April 2023.
Crown attorney Jelena Vlacic told the court that a fraudulent air waybill was printed at the airport a day before the theft using Sidhu’s employee profile. The prosecution alleges that the document was then used to make the shipment appear to be a different consignment.
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According to the Crown, the man who collected the cargo arrived with paperwork for a seafood shipment
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The altered waybill reportedly contained a number corresponding to the gold shipment, allowing the cargo to be released
The court was shown surveillance footage of a white truck entering the cargo facility. The driver, wearing reflective clothing and a face covering, presented documents before the shipment was loaded using a forklift. The entire operation took less than an hour, prosecutors said.
Police have said the stolen shipment contained about 6,600 gold bars weighing more than 400 kg, along with approximately C$2.5 million in foreign currency. It had arrived from Zurich, Switzerland, aboard an Air Canada flight before being moved to the airline’s cargo facility.
The defence has questioned whether others had access to Sidhu’s computer and whether there is evidence placing him at the terminal when the document was printed. Investigators also did not conduct handwriting analysis on the altered waybill.
The case follows the withdrawal of charges against Ali Raza and Amit Jalota. Another accused, Arsalan Chaudhary, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison, with an order to repay C$22 million. Another accused, Archit Grover, is expected to face trial later this year.
