SURREY, B.C. - Three men have been charged in connection with the escape of convicted double murderer Rabih Alkhalil from a British Columbia pretrial facility in 2022. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced the charges but could not confirm reports that Alkhalil has been arrested in the Middle East.

Sgt. Tammy Lobb stated that Edward Ayoub and John Potvin, both from Ottawa, along with Ryan Van Gool from Harrison Hot Springs, B.C., face charges of prison breach and conspiracy related to the breakout from the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam. Alkhalil escaped while on trial for the 2012 murder of a gang rival at a Vancouver restaurant. He was later convicted of first-degree murder in absentia.

Alkhalil had previously been convicted in 2017 of first-degree murder in Ontario for the killing of a man in a Toronto coffee shop. The investigation into his escape revealed additional evidence leading to charges against Van Gool and two other men, Bryce and Scott Telford, for a conspiracy to commit murder in 2024. This planned killing in Kamloops, B.C., was reportedly thwarted.

Sgt. Lobb confirmed that all six individuals involved are in custody, except for Potvin, who is currently wanted on a Canada-wide warrant. She emphasized that the reports regarding Alkhalil's arrest in Qatar have not been verified by police agencies.

Alkhalil remains one of Canada's most wanted fugitives and is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice. Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers previously offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to his capture.