Trial for man accused in Pearson gold heist hears more from key figure in case

A man who received a prison sentence for his role in the Toronto Pearson airport gold heist has told a Brampton, Ont., court that on the day of the theft, he communicated with the man currently on trial in the case.

Arsalan Chaudhary returned to the witness stand today in the trial of Parmpal Sidhu, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of theft over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence in the 2023 heist.

Chaudhary was sentenced this spring to four years in prison after pleading guilty to theft over $5,000, and he was given 40 years to pay back $22 million in restitution.

His testimony in Sidhu’s trial was paused last week after he said that recalling his alleged abduction in Pakistan had left him traumatized.

Chaudhary testified today that he told Sidhu the truck and driver were ready on the day of the gold heist and that Sidhu replied, “OK.”

Chaudhary told court last week that he planned the heist with another man who is still wanted by authorities, and he ended up taking 30 per cent of boxes full of one-ounce gold bars.

He said he melted some of the gold before travelling to Pakistan, where he was kidnapped and abused until he gave up the loot.

Prosecutors allege that Sidhu, an Air Canada employee at the time, provided a doctored waybill that allowed another man to pick up more than $22 million in gold and currency from a Pearson airport cargo bay.

Peel regional police have said 6,600 gold bars weighing more than 400 kilograms were stolen from the airport on April 17, 2023, after the shipment arrived from Switzerland.