A main organizer of what authorities have described as has been sentenced to four years in prison.
, 44, has also been ordered to repay $22 million – a restitution order that will be in place for 40 years – for his involvement in the April 2023 theft at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Ontario Court Justice Shannon McPherson delivered her sentence in a Brampton, Ont. courtroom Wednesday.
Chaudhary, who was arrested this January at Pearson after arriving on a flight from Dubai, was charged with theft over $5,000, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
The 2023 heist, which made international headlines at the time, involved 6,600 gold bars valued at more than $20 million stolen from Pearson; cash valued at $2.5 million was also taken.
The gold and currency were ordered from a refinery in Zurich, Switzerland, and were transported in a container through an Air Canada flight that landed in Toronto.
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That flight landed three years ago on April 17, 2023, at 3:56 p.m. The cargo was then offloaded from the plane to an Air Canada cargo facility at 6:32 p.m.
Police alleged a suspect arrived at the facility with a “fraudulent airway bill” and gave it to an attendant.
A short time later, a forklift arrived with a container of gold and foreign currency, which was loaded into the rear of the suspect’s truck.
At around 9:30 p.m., Brink’s Canada employees went to the Air Canada cargo site to pick up the shipment of gold and currency. Police were contacted the following day and an investigation launched.
Video surveillance obtained by officers showed the truck drove west into Halton Region to north of Milton, Ont. That region is more rural, and eventually the truck was lost.
On April 17, 2024, police announced 37 search warrants were issued along with 70 production orders; officers seized $430,000 in Canadian currency during the search warrants.
Also seized were six crudely made gold bracelets resembling bangles that were sent off for expert examination. They were pure gold and the total value was more than $89,000.
In addition, officers seized smelting pots, casts and molds. The truck allegedly used to steal the gold and cash was also seized by police.
To date, nine individuals have been charged or are wanted, and more than 21 charges have been laid.
The investigation into the theft remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
