Canada prosecutors drop charges against two in Toronto gold heist

Canadian prosecutors have withdrawn charges against Amit Jalota and Ali Raza, who were accused of involvement in a major gold heist at Toronto Pearson Airport in April 2023. The theft involved 6,500 gold bars, valued at C$20 million ($14.5 million; £11.6 million), along with a large sum of cash. Following the charges, police made several arrests, claiming it was the largest gold theft in Canada's history.

Jalota and Raza's lawyers confirmed their clients had always maintained their innocence and were grateful to have these charges dropped, allowing them to move forward with their lives. They were accused of possessing stolen gold or currency linked to the crime. According to police, the theft occurred inside a cargo facility at the airport, after the goods arrived on an Air Canada flight from Zurich, Switzerland.

The criminals allegedly accessed the goods by presenting a counterfeit airway bill and used a truck to steal the roughly 400kg (881lb) gold. The heist was initially planned by a man sentenced to four years in a Canadian court and another man who pleaded guilty in the US for conspiring to illegally traffic firearms, according to the US Department of Justice.

Two additional accused individuals will face separate trials later this year for conspiracy to commit theft, with both maintaining their innocence.