B.C. fugitive, gangland killer arrested in Qatar: police

A gangland killer who escaped from a British Columbia jail in 2022 has been captured in Qatar.

Police say Rabih Alkhalil is in custody, three years after he escaped from the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam, B.C.

At the time, Alkhalil had been on trial for the 2012 shooting death of a rival gang member in a busy Vancouver restaurant.

He was later convicted in absentia for first-degree murder.

He was previously convicted in 2017 for the murder of a man at a Toronto coffee shop.

Authorities in Canada say they're working with Interpol and other agencies to bring Alkhalil back to Canada, where he has been on a national list of most wanted fugitives.

Police say Alkhalil had been using an alias when he was arrested in Qatar.

Authorities thanked the Middle Eastern nation for its "critical assistance" and "swift and decisive action" in the arrest.

"Through their exceptional diligence, investigators ensured the apprehension of a dangerous fugitive who might otherwise still be outstanding today," chief officer Manny Mann with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit said in a statement.

Earlier this month, police investigating the jail escape announced charges against three people accused of helping him.

Charged are Edward Ayoub and John Potvin, both of Ottawa, and Ryan Van Gool of Harrison Hot Springs, B.C.

Video of the escape shows two men posing as contractors at the detention facility, leading Alkhalil through hallways.