Murderer who escaped B.C. jail in custody in Qatar

After more than three years on the run, one of Canada's most wanted fugitives has been captured.

A convicted murderer who broke out of a British Columbia jail three years ago is now in custody in Qatar, authorities confirmed Thursday.

Fugitive Rabih Alkhalil was among Canada’s most wanted men since he escaped the North Fraser Pre-Trial Centre in Port Coquitlam in July 2022, with the help of two men posing as contractors, while on trial for first-degree murder for a 2012 gang shooting. Alkhalil was later convicted of the killing while on the run.

Reports that the gangster was arrested overseas surfaced earlier this month, however the RCMP could not confirm that was the case until Thursday, when they said Alkhalil was arrested in Qatar “under an alias” sometime in September.

“Investigators from the (Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C.) and RCMP international partners pursued Rabih Alkhalil for more than three years,” a news release from the province’s anti-gang police unit reads.

“The pursuit concluded with the critical assistance of the Ministry of Interior-Qatar, whose professionalism and expertise, along with their swift and decisive action, were instrumental in bringing this matter to a close.”

Police say they’re now working with Interpol to have Alkhalil extradited to Canada to face charges of being unlawfully at large.

However, Vancouver-based immigration lawyer Richard Kurland notes Canada and Qatar do not have an extradition treaty.

“There’s no choice, they have to play ‘Let’s Make a Deal,’” Kurland said in an interview.

He said it’s likely Qatari officials were aware of Alkhalil’s presence for some time, and that Canada eventually offered something in return.

“It’s getting the people who rule Qatar to go on your side and deliver the Canadian. They have to be motivated, or else it will take years. Something motivated Qatar,” he said.

Earlier this month, Mounties announced conspiracy to commit prison breach and prison breach charges against three men accused of helping Alkhalil escape — Edward Ayoub, John Potvin and Ryan Van Gool.

Ayoub, from Ottawa, was already in custody at the time, while Van Gool, from Harrison Hot Springs, B.C., was arrested on Sept. 5. Potvin, also from Ottawa, was arrested in Spain under an Interpol Red Notice on Sept. 19.

While investigating the prison breach, authorities said they uncovered and thwarted a murder plot that was about to unfold in Kamloops, B.C.

Van Gool and two Surrey men, Scott Telford and Bryce Telford, were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and firearms offences in the case and all three have since appeared in court.

“We are extremely grateful to the Ministry of Interior – Qatar for their assistance in the arrest of Rabih Alkhalil. Through their exceptional diligence, investigators ensured the apprehension of a dangerous fugitive who might otherwise still be outstanding today,” Asst. Comm. Manny Mann, chief of the CFSEU-BC, said in the release.

“This arrest highlights the exceptional co-operation and unwavering commitment of our law enforcement partners across borders. Through dedicated co-ordination, intelligence-sharing and strong interagency collaboration, we have ensured that a dangerous individual will be held accountable,” added Chief Supt. Stephen Lee, deputy regional commander of the RCMP Federal Policing Pacific Region.

Alkhalil has been convicted of murder twice, along with drug trafficking and conspiracy offences.

The 2012 hit he was on trial for at the time of the jailbreak killed Sandip Duhre while he was sitting at a busy restaurant in downtown Vancouver.

Six months later, Johnny Raposo was shot at point-blank range on a patio in Toronto’s Little Italy. Alkhalil was one of four men convicted of that murder and had to be extradited from Greece to stand trial, ultimately being sentenced to life in prison in 2017.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ben Nesbit and Lisa Steacy