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Prosecutors have withdrawn a charge against a Toronto man accused of taking part in the multimillion-dollar gold heist at Pearson airport in 2023.
Ali Raza, 40, of Toronto, was arrested and charged in April 2024 with possession of property obtained by crime for his alleged role in the heist.
The Crown withdrew the charge Wednesday, saying the case against Raza rested on circumstantial evidence.
Standing outside the Brampton Courthouse, Raza said he was happy with the outcome.
“I am innocent,” he said. “The feeling is good.”
Raza spoke little and directed most questions to one of his lawyers, Brij Mohan.
“I’m glad that his ordeal is over now, after almost two years,” Mohan said. “Justice prevailed today.”
Mohan said the allegations “ruined” Raza’s life and defamed him within the jewelry community in Canada.
It will take years to “regain his integrity,” he said, noting that Raza “suffered a huge business loss.”
The heist took place on April 17, 2023, at Pearson airport after a flight arrived from Zurich, Switzerland, with a cargo shipment of 400 kilograms of gold — valued at more than $20 million at the time — and about $2.5 million in foreign currency. The items were reported missing the following day.
WATCH | CBC’s the fifth estate takes deep dive into Pearson gold heist:
Inside job: Airport gold heist
It was a sensational heist — $20 million in gold stolen from Canada’s busiest airport. On a chase that spans the globe — from India to Dubai to rural Pennsylvania, we make surprising discoveries about the gold, guns and the suspects still at large.Raza 3rd person accused in heist to have charges dropped
Peel police have charged and issued warrants for nine people in connection to the heist, while two people remain outstanding.
Raza is the third person accused in the case to have their charges withdrawn.
In April, charges were dropped against Ammad Chaudhary, 46, who was charged in 2024 with one count of committing an indictable offence of theft over $5,000 and accessory after the fact.
That same month, the man believed to be the mastermind of the operation, Arsalan Chaudhary, pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay $22 million in restitution to Brinks Canada.
Charges were also dropped against Amit Jalota, 42, on Tuesday, according to an indictment document obtained by CBC News. Jalota was charged in 2024 with possession of property obtained by crime, theft over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.