Suspect also faces U.S. gun charges
A Brampton man who was arrested this past week in connection to the largest gold theft in Canadian history also faces a slew of weapons charges in Pennsylvania.
Archit Grover, 36, was arrested by Peel Regional Police on Monday after stepping off a flight from India at Pearson Airport in connection with a $24-million heist at the airport last year.
Grover faces Canadian charges of theft over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
Grover was earlier charged in his absence by a Pennsylvania grand jury with charges stemming from an alleged conspiracy to engage in international firearms trafficking.
The charges allege he was an accessory after the fact for his alleged assistance to Durante KingMclean, also of Brampton, who was charged Sept. 2, in Pennsylvania with gun smuggling.
King-Mclean was pulled over on Sept. 2 by Pennsylvania State Police at a traffic stop in Franklin County, according to an indictment filed by U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam.
The indictment alleges he was stopped while driving a rental vehicle with tinted windows after police observed several motor vehicle violations.
It also claims King-Mclean, who was illegally in the U.S., attempted to flee on foot after troopers discovered firearms hidden in the rental vehicle.
The 64 firearms in the vehicle were destined to be illegally smuggled into Canada, the indictment alleges. “Two of those firearms were fully automatic and considered machine guns under federal law,” the indictment states. “Eleven of the firearms were determined to be stolen, and one firearm had an obliterated serial number.”
“International arms trafficking greatly endangers citizens of both countries,” acting special agent Sara C. Bay said at the time of the arrest.
“… We will continue to use our global reach and co-operate with our law enforcement partners to combat transnational weapons trafficking,” Bay stated.
Grover is the seventh person to be arrested in connection to the heist, which police say involved a group including two Air Canada employees and a Toronto jewelry store owner plotting to steal 400 kilograms of gold from an airport warehouse.
Canada-wide warrants have been issued for two other individuals, including a former Air Canada manager who quit his post last summer.
The American indictment alleges that King-Mclean kept looking at the rental vehicle after he was pulled over by Pennsylvania police in September.
“Through a number of questions, police became confused on where the car was from, why the rental agreement was expired, and numerous other problems,” the indictment states.
“Eventually, police asked to search the vehicle but were denied,” the indictment continues. “However, police in Pennsylvania reserve the right to search a vehicle if the rental agreement is expired, which was previously established through the interview. Thus, troopers began to search the trunk of the car.”
“After finding multiple suitcases and a misplaced spare tire, police looked where the tire was supposed to go, where they found multiple guns wrapped in socks,” the indictment continues.
“Calling for more officers, troopers then allegedly found KingMclean to flee the area on foot…,” the indictment states.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of “64 pistols in various makes and models, an AK-style semi automatic rifle, and numerous rounds of ammunition. A search of all the firearms found that 11 of them were reported as stolen.”