VANCOUVER, CANADA — After three years on the run, Rabih ‘Robby’ Alkhalil, one of Canada’s most wanted fugitives, has been arrested in Qatar under an alias, police confirmed Thursday.
The arrest comes less than a week after the RCMP announced that Alkhalil had been charged in connection with a high-profile 2022 prison break from the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, while on trial for first-degree murder.
The arrest was carried out in coordination with Qatari authorities, Interpol, and Canadian law enforcement agencies, including the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit – British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) and Federal Policing – Pacific Region (FP-PR).
“Now that we have official confirmation from Qatar, we can share the information with the public as we promised on Sept. 8,” said Cpl. Sarbjit Sangha, CFSEU-BC spokesperson.
Prison Break and Murder Conviction
In July 2022, Alkhalil escaped custody with the help of two men disguised as contractors. He was facing trial for a 2012 gang-related murder in Vancouver and has since been convicted of that killing, marking it as his second first-degree murder conviction.
Three men have been charged in connection with the jailbreak:
Edward Paul Ayoub, 48, of Ottawa
John Brian Potvin, 49, of Ottawa (arrested in Spain)
Ryan Edward Van Gool, 46, of Harrison Hot Springs, B.C.
All face charges of prison breach and conspiracy to commit a prison breach.
Extradition Efforts Underway
Despite the fact that Canada does not have an extradition treaty with Qatar, officials remain optimistic. Cpl. Sangha noted that Qatar has been cooperative, and the process of returning Alkhalil to Canada has already begun.
“They’ve been very supportive and have provided us the information that we needed to confirm his identity,” Sangha said.
There is no set timeline for Alkhalil’s return to Canada, but authorities are working closely with international partners to finalize extradition steps.
