A man convicted of orchestrating the fatal shooting of a Toronto man outside a Little Italy cafe in 2012 is currently Canada’s most wanted fugitive, and there’s a significant prize for his arrest.
Rabih Alkhalil headlines Bolo (Be On The Lookout) show updated list of the 25 most wanted fugitivesrevealed Tuesday afternoon at the British Columbia RCMP headquarters.
A reward of up to $250,000 is being offered for any information leading to Alkhalil’s arrest.
“We also know that $250,000 is a lot of money. For most people, $250,000 would change their lives. If you know where Rabih Alkhalil is, we don’t need his name, we don’t need his location, we just need to find him,” BC RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald told a news conference.
Bolo program director Max Langlois said the reward for Alkhalil, like all rewards for the other fugitives, will be released unconditionally upon arrest.
“And as always, you’ll get your money fast. But don’t forget that all our rewards expire. The reward in the Alkhalil case is only available until May 1, 2023,” she said.
Alkhalil has been on the run since last July when he escaped from the North Fraser Pre-Trial Center in British Columbia.
At the time of his escape, he was on trial for a murder in a downtown Vancouver restaurant in 2012.
He has since been convicted of first-degree murder in that case.
Rabih Alkhalil tops the updated list of the 25 most wanted fugitives from the Bolo program (Be On The Lookout). (Bolus Program)
Alkhalil was already serving a life sentence after he and three other men were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the brazen daylight killing of John Raposo.
Raposo, 35, was fatally shot on the patio of the Sicilian Sidewalk Café in Toronto’s Little Italy neighborhood on June 18, 2012 as soccer fans gathered to watch a European Championship game.
The evidence revealed that Raposo was targeted because he was seen as a rival drug trafficker.
Alkhalil was also serving time for his involvement in a major drug trafficking operation in Quebec.
The Bolo Program uses technology and communication channels to support police services across the country with their messages to locate the country’s most wanted fugitives.
Today marks the first update to the top 25 list since its release in April 2022.
“With hundreds of millions of ad impressions, millions of website visits, thousands of media mentions, hundreds of tips, and more than 10 arrests, we can confidently say that we have helped make our community safer,” he said. Langlois.
Seven suspects from the original Top 25 were tracked down between April and October, including the prime suspect, Abilaziz Mohamed, wanted for murder by Toronto police and arrested within 12 hours of the list’s release.
SEVEN CASES FROM TORONTO INCLUDED IN THE LIST
Seven of the 25 most wanted fugitives on the updated list are Toronto Police Service cases, with two in the top five: Jabreel Elmi (#3) and Kiarash Parzham (#4).
Elmi is the third and final prominent suspect wanted in connection with the murder of City of Toronto recreation worker Thane Murray. The 27-year-old was fatally shot in the city’s Regent Park neighborhood in September 2021. Two other men were also injured in the shooting.
Meanwhile, Parzham is wanted for murder in a North York shooting that left 28-year-old Kian Hoseyni dead in June 2022.
There is a $50,000 reward for Elmi’s arrest, but no financial reward for Parzham is mentioned.
FILE- Names on the new BOLO Most Wanted list are displayed in Toronto on April 26, 2022.
A $50,000 reward is also available for nine other fugitives on the list.
The second largest reward offered after Alkhalil’s is $100,000 for fugitive number two on the list: Kier Bryan Granado, wanted for murder by the Calgary Police Service.
“By being vigilant together we can make our communities safer. For all the fugitives featured in our top 25, the message is clear and simple. Call a lawyer or the police and make arrangements to turn yourself in because the whole country is looking for you,” Langlois said.
-With archives from The Canadian Press