Trial begins for suspect in Toronto airport gold heist
A man is on trial in Canada over his alleged role in the theft of gold and cash from a cargo warehouse in 2023.
The trial of Parmpal Sidhu, who is suspected of involvement in a major gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport, begins in Brampton on Monday. Sidhu denies the charges; a second suspect will face a separate trial later this autumn.
The charges concern the theft of more than 5,000 Canadian dollars and conspiracy to commit an offence. According to police, Sidhu worked at the Air Canada cargo facility where the shipment was stored after arriving. The judge will have to assess what role he played according to the evidence.
The heist took place on 17 April 2023. According to police, it involved 6,600 gold bars with a combined weight of more than 400 kilograms, as well as foreign currency. The shipment was valued at more than 20 million Canadian dollars at the time.
The gold and cash had been transported from Zürich to Toronto. According to police, a forged waybill was later used to persuade warehouse employees to release the shipment to a lorry.
The case has changed in recent weeks. The charges against two other men have been withdrawn. Another suspect pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison earlier this year, in addition to being ordered to repay 22 million Canadian dollars.
The case against Archit Grover is separate from Sidhu’s. Both defendants have chosen to be tried by a judge without a jury. Grover is expected to stand trial later in November.
The allegations against Sidhu have not been proven. The trial must establish whether the prosecution can support the charges with sufficient evidence. As several suspects are being tried separately and charges against some people have been withdrawn, the outcome may differ for each defendant.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The start of the trial and the allegations were confirmed by Canadian Press and Canadian court information. The text consistently maintains the suspects’ status and does not present police claims as established guilt.
- confirmed The trial of Parmpal Sidhu begins on 5 October 2026 in Brampton. — This was reported by CityNews based on Canadian Press. source
- confirmed Sidhu is accused of theft exceeding 5,000 Canadian dollars and conspiracy. — The charges are included in current trial reporting. source
- confirmed The heist took place on 17 April 2023 and involved more than 400 kilograms of gold. — Peel Regional Police and Canadian Press cite this date and scale. source
- confirmed The charges against two other men were recently withdrawn. — Global News reported the withdrawal of the charges against Amit Jalota and Ali Raza. source
Editor's note
The start of the trial, the charges and the background to the heist have been confirmed. Sidhu’s guilt and the precise roles of other suspects have not been established.Sources
- Trial set to begin for man accused in massive gold heist at Toronto’s Pearson airport — CityNews Toronto/Canadian Press
- Charges dropped against 2 men accused in Toronto Pearson gold heist — Global News
- Case Information – Ontario Superior Court of Justice — Ontario Superior Court of Justice
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „canada toronto”
- Het Parool — „canada toronto”
- Trouw — „canada toronto”