'Unprecedented' reward offered in hunt for B.C. fugitive convicted of first-degree murder

The hunt for a B.C. fugitive convicted of first-degree murder in a brazen public shooting now includes a cash reward of up to a quarter of a million dollars.

Convicted killer Rabih Alkhalil, also known as Robbie, has been on the run since July after escaping from the North Fraser Pre-Trial Centre in Port Coquitlam.

Now the 35-year-old is at the top of a cross-Canada most wanted list with a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to his arrest.

BC RCMP Deputy Comm. Dwayne McDonald called the reward “unprecedented” for the province.

“For most people, $250,000 would be life changing,” he said. “We don’t need your name, we don’t need your location. We just need to find him.”

When Alkhalil left the jail with the help of two suspects (who police said were either posing as, or working as contractors), he was on trial for the 2012 murder of Sandip Duhre. Duhre was gunned down at a restaurant in a busy downtown Vancouver hotel. Alkhalil has since been found guilty.

The white Ford Econoline van he escaped in has been found, but he remains at large.

Insp. Darren Carr with the Coquitlam RCMP said “the public is not safe until he’s brought back into custody”.

“The crimes that he’s committed are serious: multiple homicides, his involvement in organized crime,” Carr said. “We will capture him. It may take some time…we are confident we will find him.”

The reward is being promoted by the BOLO (or Be On the Lookout) program (link: https://www.boloprogram.org/), which uses social media and other technology to spread the word about wanted fugitives.

They have previously focussed on former UN gang member Conor D’Monte, who was arrested earlier this year in Puerto Rico, and Brandon Teixeira, who is charged with murder, and was arrested in California in 2019.

Now Alkhalil is in the same spotlight.

McDonald said it isn’t the first time the fugitive has evaded police.

“After orchestrating brazen murders in Vancouver and Toronto one decade ago, he fled to Greece,” McDonald said. “Where he was ultimately arrested and extradited to Canada. In 2017, he was convicted of murder in Toronto. In 2020, he was found guilty of significant drug trafficking in Quebec.”

McDonald said anyone who sees Alkhalil should not approach him, as he is considered dangerous and may be armed. Instead, he asked people to call police, 9-1-1, or CrimeStoppers.

McDonald also had a message for the 25 wanted fugitives on the list.

“Your world gets smaller,” he said. ‘Do the right thing for yourself, your family, for your community. Call a lawyer, call the police, and turn yourself in.”

OTHER B.C. CONNECTIONS

Other B.C. connections on the fugitives list include Amardip Singh Rai.42-year-old is sought by the Surrey RCMP after failing to appear for a court date. He currently has an outstanding warrant on a number of charges including sexual assault, confining a person without lawful authority, and two counts of assault with a weapon.

Creston man Oliver Ole Langelid is also on the list. The RCMP said the 71 year-old is accused of sexual interference of a person under 16 and sexual assault. He also failed to appear in court.

The Oceanside RCMP in Parksville are also looking for Quinten Anthony Meyer.27-year-old is facing charges related to a break and enter and sexual assault in Nanoose Bay this July, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.