Wanted gold heist suspect, former Air Canada manager and Brampton resident reportedly returning to Canada

A suspect wanted on a Canada-wide warrant in connection with Canada’s largest gold heist is reportedly returning to Canada to turn himself in.

The heist of approximately $20 million in gold from a cargo facility at Pearson Airport in Mississauga on  April 17, 2023 required inside knowledge of Pearson Airport and its operations, experts have said. 

This April, Peel Regional Police announced they had arrested and charged six people, and issued warrants for three other people in connection with the heist.

Canada-wide warrants were issued for the three other people, including Simran Preet Panesar, a 31-year-old man from Brampton and a former Air Canada employee.

Panesar was employed at Air Canada at the time of the theft and even gave police a tour of the cargo facility early in the investigation. He later quit his job and left the country.

CBC is now reporting that Panesar and his lawyer have contacted them and he is planning to return to Canada to turn himself in to police in the next few weeks. There are indications he is or was in India as his wife, Preety Panesar, an actress and singer, posted photos with her husband in what appears to be Punjab shortly after the robbery.

There are no indications Preety Panesar is involved in the heist.

Simran Preet Panesar is wanted on charges of theft over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, police said in April.

He is reportedly refuting those charges.

Another suspect, Brampton resident, Archit Grover, 36, was taken into custody after his flight landed at Pearson Airport on May 6. A police spokesperson told insauga.com the wanted man made the trip back to Canada to turn himself in to authorities.

The third wanted suspect, Arsalan Chaudhary, 42, of no fixed address remains outstanding.

Lead photo of Simran Preet Panesar: Peel Regional Police