The RCMP said reports of fugitive Rabih Alkhalil being caught in Qatar are untrue. CTV
Authorities dismissed reports on Monday claiming fugitive Rabih Alkhalil had been captured overseas. The convicted murderer broke free from a British Columbia jail in 2022 and remains one of Canada’s most-wanted criminals.
RCMP Provides Update
At a news conference, police confirmed they could not verify Alkhalil’s arrest in Qatar.
“If that information changes, we will update you accordingly,” said Cpl. Sarbjit Sangha, spokesperson for B.C.’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.
“At this point Rabih Alkhalil remains at large,” Sangha added.
Accomplices Charged
Police used the event to reveal charges against three men accused of helping Alkhalil escape.
Edward Ayoub, from Ottawa, was already in custody when the charges were laid. John Potvin, also from Ottawa, remains wanted on a Canada-wide warrant. Ryan Van Gool, from Harrison Hot Springs, was arrested in B.C. on Friday.
All three face charges of conspiracy to commit prison breach and prison breach.
“This investigation was a complex investigation which included not only local individuals, but individuals from across the country,” Sangha said.
Foiled Murder Plot
The investigation into Alkhalil’s escape also uncovered a separate alleged plot.
“While conducting the investigation into the escape of Rabih Alkhalil, our investigators uncovered a further murder conspiracy that was about to occur that they prevented, preserving public safety,” Sangha said.
Van Gool has also been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and firearms offences. Two Surrey men, Scott and Bryce Telford, were arrested in connection with the same case.
Alkhalil Still at Large
Alkhalil remains on the run under a Canada-wide warrant. The BOLO program lists him as Canada’s third most-wanted fugitive, with a $50,000 reward offered for information leading to his arrest.
At the time of his escape, Alkhalil was on trial for the 2012 murder of Sandip Duhre, a gangland killing carried out inside a busy Vancouver hotel restaurant. Diners scrambled for cover as Duhre was gunned down. Alkhalil was convicted of that murder while on the run.
He had also been one of four men convicted in the 2012 killing of Johnny Raposo in Toronto’s Little Italy. Raposo was shot four times in the head in broad daylight. Alkhalil was arrested later in Greece and extradited to Canada, where all four men received life sentences with no parole for 25 years in 2017.
