Toronto Airport Gold Heist Organizer Cites PTSD and Memory Problems During Trial of Former Air Canada Employee

BRAMPTON, Ontario, October 14, 2026: A key figure in the multimillion-dollar gold robbery at Toronto Pearson International Airport has told an Ontario court that post-traumatic stress disorder, exhaustion and disturbing experiences following the heist have affected his ability to recall important details while testifying against a former Air Canada employee accused of participating in the crime.

Arsalan Chaudhary, who is serving a prison sentence for his involvement in the April 2023 robbery, appeared as a witness in the trial of Parmpal Sidhu at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Brampton.

However, Chaudhary’s second day of testimony was cut short after he became visibly agitated and told the court that he was struggling to remember details of the operation.

He attributed his difficulties to insufficient sleep and psychological distress, including post-traumatic stress disorder that he linked to an alleged kidnapping in Pakistan following the robbery.

The court proceedings have brought renewed attention to one of the most extraordinary airport thefts in Canadian history, involving more than $22 million in gold and foreign currency stolen from a secure cargo facility at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Sidhu, a former Air Canada employee, faces charges of theft exceeding $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. He has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Prosecutors allege that Sidhu played a significant role in facilitating the theft by providing a falsified document that enabled the individuals involved to collect the valuable shipment.

The allegations against Sidhu have not been proven in court.

According to investigators, the stolen shipment contained approximately 6,600 gold bars weighing more than 400 kilograms, along with a substantial amount of foreign currency.

The robbery took place in April 2023 and triggered an extensive police investigation involving multiple suspects and allegations of insider assistance.

Authorities have maintained that the theft required coordination and knowledge of airport cargo procedures, raising serious concerns about security controls surrounding high-value international shipments.

Chaudhary’s testimony is considered important because of his admitted involvement in organizing the robbery and his potential knowledge of how the stolen cargo was removed from the airport.

During his earlier appearance, Chaudhary acknowledged his central role in the operation and testified that he had taken approximately 30 per cent of the stolen gold before travelling to Pakistan.

His account provided a glimpse into what happened after the gold disappeared from the airport and how the proceeds were allegedly divided among those involved.

However, his subsequent difficulty recalling events has complicated efforts to establish a detailed timeline of the operation during Sidhu’s trial.

While appearing in the witness box, Chaudhary expressed frustration over repeated questions about the robbery and maintained that his mental and physical condition prevented him from providing clear answers.

He told the court that his experiences after leaving Canada had affected him deeply, particularly an alleged kidnapping in Pakistan that he described while giving evidence.

His references to PTSD and sleep deprivation raised questions about the reliability and completeness of his recollections, although the court has not established the extent to which those conditions affect his testimony.

The proceedings were interrupted to allow Chaudhary additional time to rest.

He is expected to return to court Monday, when questioning is scheduled to resume in the hope that he will be better able to recall the circumstances surrounding the theft.

The interruption represents another development in a complex criminal case that has attracted national and international attention because of the enormous value of the stolen property and the alleged involvement of individuals with access to airport operations.

The case also places considerable importance on the testimony of a convicted participant whose statements must be examined alongside other evidence presented during the trial.

For prosecutors, establishing whether Sidhu knowingly assisted the robbery is central to proving the charges against him.

The allegation that a manipulated cargo document helped the thieves obtain the shipment is particularly significant because it concerns the procedures used to release valuable goods from airport storage.

The defence, meanwhile, has the opportunity to challenge the evidence, question the accuracy of witness accounts and contest the prosecution’s interpretation of Sidhu’s alleged involvement.

Chaudhary’s admitted participation in the robbery does not establish Sidhu’s guilt, which must be determined independently through the evidence presented in court.

The trial is also examining events surrounding a crime that exposed potential vulnerabilities in the handling and protection of valuable cargo at Canada’s busiest airport.

The disappearance of hundreds of kilograms of gold from an international transportation facility raised questions about documentation, employee access and the ability of criminals to exploit operational procedures.

Although investigators have identified suspects and pursued criminal charges, the courtroom proceedings are intended to establish the individual responsibility of those accused rather than rely solely on the broader circumstances of the robbery.

Chaudhary’s account of travelling to Pakistan after receiving a share of the stolen gold has added an international dimension to the case.

His testimony about an alleged kidnapping there has also introduced questions about what happened to him after the theft and whether those experiences have affected his ability to provide consistent evidence.

No independent findings about the alleged kidnapping or a medical assessment of his claimed PTSD were included in the information presented during the latest proceedings.

As the trial continues, the court will have to consider the testimony of witnesses, documentary evidence and the competing arguments of prosecutors and defence lawyers before reaching any verdict.

For now, Sidhu remains an accused person who has denied wrongdoing and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

The next stage of the proceedings is expected to focus on Chaudhary’s resumed testimony and whether he can provide further details about the planning, execution and aftermath of the airport robbery.

Nearly three and a half years after the gold disappeared from Toronto Pearson International Airport, the case continues to reveal the complexity of the alleged criminal operation and the challenges investigators face in reconstructing one of Canada’s most significant cargo thefts.

Courtesy: CBC