ED raids fugitive’s Punjab homes over ‘Canada’s largest gold heist’

Mohali: The enforcement directorate (ED) raided the residences of fugitive Simranpreet Panesar in Mohali and Chandigarh on Friday in connection with Canada's largest gold heist. Panesar, a former Air Canada manager, and his wife were interrogated for several hours.
The ED conducted searches at Panesar's rented homes in Mohali's Sector 79 and Chandigarh's Sector 38 as part of an ongoing investigation into the gold theft. Teams arrived early in the morning at the Sector-79 house and questioned the Panesar couple throughout the day. The raid, which began around 6 am, concluded at 4 pm. The ED squads left with four bagfuls of electronic devices and documents, but they have not released any official details regarding the seized material.
Shortly after their departure, Panesar, wearing a mask, exited his home and drove away. His wife, Preeti Panesar, is a former Miss India Uganda, singer, and actress. The heist, which took place in April 2023, involved the theft of 6,600 gold bars weighing 400 kg, along with $25 lakh in foreign currency, from the cargo complex at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. The gold was stolen while cargo was being unloaded from a Zurich flight.
Panesar, who lived in Brampton, Ontario, at the time of the heist, fled to India soon after. In June 2024, his lawyers indicated that he would surrender, but he failed to do so. Authorities continue to investigate his role in the high-profile theft.