Former Air Canada manager wanted in gold heist to turn himself in, lawyer says
CBC
The former Air Canada manager wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for his alleged role in the largest gold heist in Canadian history is preparing to turn himself in, according to his lawyer.
Simran Preet Panesar is wanted on charges including theft over $5,000 in connection with the April 2023 theft of more than $20 million in gold from Toronto's Pearson International Airport.
Panesar is "very confident in the Canadian justice system," his lawyer, Greg Lafontaine said in a statement to CBC News. "When this prosecution is over, he will have been absolved of any wrongdoing."
Police say Panesar quit his job last summer and disappeared. The charges against him and eight others were announced in April.
Lafontaine said Panesar retained him as soon as he learned he was wanted on charges in Canada. Lafontaine then contacted police and the Crown prosecutor to tell them Panesar planned to return voluntarily to Canada in the next few weeks.
"He is anxious to have an opportunity to demonstrate his absolute innocence," Lafontaine said.
Lafontaine said Panesar is "tidying up his affairs abroad in preparation of his return to Canada."
He did not say where Panesar is, citing safety concerns. But CBC News has been investigating the possibility he has been in India with his wife, Preety Panesar. She is not believed to have been involved in the heist.
Preety, a former Miss India Uganda, is a singer and actor and released music videos under the label Muzik Karma Records with her husband when they were both living in Canada.
Before the heist, he was trying to launch a career in the Punjabi entertainment industry alongside her. Promotional materials online suggest they were both involved in a film slated for 2022 called Zeba.
In interviews on YouTube Preety credits him with launching her career.
In an interview last year with a Punjabi entertainment reporter, she indicated a new film would start shooting in September with hopes it would be released by December.
Just days before the charges against her husband were announced, Preety posted pictures and video from a photoshoot that appeared to be located in Chandigarh, a city in northern Punjab.
Numerous people and businesses were tagged in those posts, which CBC News subsequently contacted. CBC News also emailed her official account multiple times but did not receive any response.
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