ED raids Mohali home of suspect in Canada’s biggest gold heist

Panesar was an acting supervisor in operations control with Air Canada at the time of the gold heist, which occurred in April 2023. According to investigators, 6,600 gold bars weighing 400 kg of pure gold and about $2.5 million worth of various foreign currencies were stolen from Pearson International Airport’s cargo compound shortly after arriving on a flight from Zurich.

A team of ED officials landed at Panesar’s residence in Mohali’s Sector 79 this morning and began questioning him. (Express photo)

“We have been questioning him since morning. We searched the premises and seized electronic devices and documents, which are being analysed/assessed. Parallel searches were conducted at his father-in-law’s commercial establishments in Hoshiarpur,” said a senior ED official.

Following The Indian Express report on February 14, which revealed that Panesar had been leading a regular life and helping his wife’s and family’s business affairs while Canadian authorities looked for him, the ED had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (the agency’s equivalent to the First Information Report) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED invoked Section 2(1)(ra) of the PMLA, which deals with cases of “cross-border implications”.

Panesar is facing a Canada-wide warrant for his alleged role in the heist.

A report prepared by the Peel Regional Police details his role: “An Air Canada employee who searched for and identified the incoming shipment. He also manipulated the Air Canada Cargo system to facilitate the physical removal of the container. He was integral. You need him. He is crucial to this, absolutely crucial. He is the top of the food chain.”

A day after the heist, as per the investigation documents, Panesar allegedly texted one of his colleagues, “I think, I’ll be going to India for days off just to get away few days.”

Investigating officers in Canada believe only Panesar “had the necessary access to search the incoming high-value shipments”.

Soon after the heist came to light, officials from Peel Regional Police reached the airport’s cargo terminal. At the time, it was allegedly Panesar who gave them “a tour of the entire area”. Investigating officials reportedly suspected his behaviour then.

As per the investigation documents, “When he was giving the tour, (the officer) noted that (Panesar) was visibly almost ill, sweating or something like that.” The investigating officers, at that time, “thought it was strange”.

The investigating officers analysed the computers at Air Canada’s cargo facility after the heist and found that “Panesar had searched the system for the incoming flight containing the gold and tracked its movement”. Once the plane landed, “he began tracking the container holding the gold”, it is alleged.

“He also manipulated the Air Canada Cargo system to facilitate the physical removal of the container,” the investigation documents state. “Once the theft was complete, he stopped searching altogether.”

Investigating officials in Canada also found that Panesar was allegedly part of a chat group with two other suspects, including Arsalan Chaudhary, who is referred to as Top Dog in the group. The chat group exchanged 772 calls or messages.

Panesar allegedly also received a text message from another suspect. “Hey, gotta… call from my cuz… said he heard about a heist at cargo last night… lol,” the message read, as per the investigation documents. Panesar allegedly replied: “No nothing like that happened.”

Panesar left Canada approximately three months after the heist.