Canada prosecutors drop charges against two in Toronto gold heist

Canada prosecutors drop charges against two in Toronto gold heist

Canadian prosecutors have dropped charges against two men accused of being involved in a massive gold heist in Toronto in 2023.

Amit Jalota and Ali Raza both had charges against them withdrawn last week.

More than 6,500 gold bars worth C$20m ($14.5m; £11.6m), were stolen from Toronto Pearson Airport in April 2023, along with millions in cash. A year later, police announced a series of arrests linked to what was the biggest gold theft in the country's history.

Lawyers for both men told Canadian media that their clients had long maintained their innocence and were relieved to be able to move forward with their lives.

They had their lives and livelihoods turned upside-down due to the now dropped charges, the lawyers said.

Both were accused of being in possession of either stolen gold or currency linked to the crime.

"He has been punitively and unreasonably punished for the last three years as he was forced to navigate the criminal justice system and the fall out of these allegations that were publicly broadcasted both nationally and internationally," Jalota's lawyer said in a statement provided to Canadian media.

The heist happened inside a cargo facility at the airport, after the goods arrived on an Air Canada flight from Zurich, Switzerland.

Police allege that someone was able to access the goods by showing a fake airway bill - a document that accompanies shipped items.

A truck was then used to steal the gold, which weighed roughly 400kg (881lb), police said.

Earlier this year, one man was sentenced to four years by a Canadian court for his role in helping plan the theft.

Another man was sentenced to 160 months in prison after pleading guilty in the US to conspiring with others to illegally traffic firearms, according to the US Department of Justice.

He was stopped by police in Pennsylvania with 65 handguns in the trunk of his car. Canadian police alleged money for the guns came from the heist.

Two other accused will face separate trials later this year over charges related to conspiracy to commit theft. Both have said they are not guilty.