logo
episode-header-image
Sep 15
21m 38s

Canada's Wildest Prison Break

Canadaland
About this episode

Rabih (Robby) Alkhalil was in prison for one murder and on trial for another. Then on July 21st, 2022 Alkhalil slipped into a black jumpsuit and a high visibility vest and he walked out the front door of a BC prison. He hopped into a waiting white van and disappeared. And for the last three years Alkhalil has stayed, at least, one step ahead of the law.


Alkhalil made new headlines last week. A series of news reports claimed he'd been arrested in Qatar. The RCMP scheduled a press conference and promised an update on the case. 


Then something weird happened. 


The RCMP announced that three men had been charged in connection with helping Alkhalil escape, but the RCMP would neither confirm nor deny that he was arrested in Qatar.


Was his escape the most audacious in recent Canadian history? Was it a stunning display of the prison authority’s incompetence or corruption? And why won’t the RCMP confirm or deny his capture in Qatar?


Veteran crime beat reporter Peter Edwards joins us to try and make sense of the escape and manhunt of Robby Alkhalil.




Credits:

Host: Jesse Brown

Caleb Thompson (Post Production), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)


Fact checking by Julian Abraham


Additional music by Audio Network



Sponsors: 


Mubi: To stream great cinema at home, you can try MUBI free for 30 days at mubi.com/canadaland for a month of great cinema for free.

The Oat Company: Head over to oatcompany.com and use code CANADALAND20 for 20% off your order. They ship across Canada so you can enjoy them anywhere.


Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.



SOCIAL POSTS:

B.C Fugitive Rabih Alkhalil Arrested in Qatar

Five Men Arrested in Helping Rabih Alkhalil Escape B.C Prison

Peter Edwards Website




If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.  

 

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.



Can't get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
Greta Thunberg's Dubious Agony in Gaza
With new prospects for ceasefire in Gaza led by Trump, is Canada’s approach to the Middle East coherent? Plus, Greta Thunberg makes headlines after she’s detained en route by sea to Gaza. Eyewitnesses allege Israel “treated her like an animal,” but what really happened? Vote for ... Show More
39m 6s
Oct 7
BC is Forcing Drug Users into Rehab. Can it Work?
British Columbia is rolling back safe supply and decriminalization, and moving toward something very different: forcibly detaining and treating people with severe addictions. Alberta is already doing it. Ontario is considering it. Canada is entering a new era of drug policy, one ... Show More
42m 48s
Oct 6
Rogers vs. Rogers
The Rogers family drama was epic. An imperious and secretive billionaire telecom overlord clan loathed across the nation, a ne’er do well heir to the throne and his fashionista wife hanging out at Mar-a-Lago, his secret scheme to seize control of his dead father’s empire exposed ... Show More
35m 22s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
Where Are The Concertgoers?
The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:What is behind the lack of enthusiasm for music festivals in 2024? Ottawa plans to turn post offices and historic armouries into housing. We look at Donald Trump, his “hush money” trail and gag order, as well as how the U.S. presiden ... Show More
1h 16m
Sep 4
What’s the evidence for vaccines?
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced plans this week to cancel $500 million dollars of funding for mRNA vaccine development. The research was focusing on trying to counter viruses that cause diseases such as the flu and Covid-19.Marnie Chesterton is joined by Profess ... Show More
28m 11s
Aug 20
Dave Collum: Financial Crisis, Diddy, Energy Weapons, QAnon, and the Deep State’s Digital Evolution
There aren’t many Ivy League professors as bold as Dave Collum. It’s amazing he still has a job. (00:00) How Collum Predicted the 2008 Financial Crisis (11:00) Collum’s Mission to Uncover the Truth About Covid (19:36) Government Experiments Being Conducted on Foster Care Children ... Show More
2h 23m
Jun 2025
CDC Vaccine Panel Fired by RFK, Jr., Oceans Grow More Acidic, and Pangolins Threatened by Hunting
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has fired the experts on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel, sparking concern among public health officials. Ocean acidification has crossed a critical threshold, posing serious risks to marine life around the globe. An ... Show More
10m 14s
Sep 30
Why are more people getting Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection passed on to humans by infected ticks. Symptoms can range from fatigue, joint pain and a circular shaped rash to facial paralysis and heart arrythmia. According to a British Medical Journal (BMJ) global health review, Lyme disease has likely ... Show More
22m 58s
Jun 2024
Oh Canada Day, eh?
The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:Oh Canada Day, eh? The love for the maple leaf seems to vary depending on what generation you’re talking to. But if you’re in the mood to celebrate, the Hammer will be busy with lots of things to do including Its Your Festival and mo ... Show More
1h 10m
Mar 2025
Who’s Running America… Trump’s Health Secretary (RFK Jr)
Our latest mini series is here and this time we're profiling some of the key players in Donald Trump's presidency, who are now running America. We’re ending the series with Robert F Kennedy Jr., the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has been tasked with making A ... Show More
34m 59s
Apr 2025
From the Internet’s Beginnings to Our Understanding of Consciousness, This Editor Has Seen It All
Senior mind and brain editor Gary Stix has covered the breadth of science and technology over the past 35 years at Scientific American. He joins host Rachel Feltman to take us through the rise of the Internet and the acceleration of advancement in neuroscience that he’s covered t ... Show More
20m 15s
Sep 2023
It’s Not A Law LCBO So Calm Down!
The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson:In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s Supercrawl weekend in downtown Hamilton! Scott witnessed a debacle at the LCBO last night that left him with a bad taste in his mouth and some questions about how things are being run. What happens wh ... Show More
1h 16m
Jan 2025
Why it pays to scratch that itch, and science at the start of the second Trump administration
First up this week, we catch up with the editor of ScienceInsider, Jocelyn Kaiser. She talks about changes at the major science agencies that came about with the transition to President Donald Trump’s second administration, such as hiring freezes at the National Institutes of Hea ... Show More
27m 59s