SURREY, British Columbia – John Potvin, a man accused of aiding a gangland killer's escape from a British Columbia correctional facility in 2022, has been extradited back to Canada after being apprehended in Spain four months earlier. The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia announced Potvin’s return following his handover by Spanish authorities on Thursday.
Potvin, originally from Ottawa, was subject to an INTERPOL Red Notice and a Canada-wide warrant prior to his arrest in September 2025. At the time, police stated that he was one of three individuals charged with prison breach and conspiracy to commit prison breach linked to the investigation surrounding the escape of Rabih Alkhalil.
Rabih Alkhalil managed to escape from the North Fraser Pretrial Centre located in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, while facing trial for the 2012 shooting murder of a rival gang member at a busy Vancouver restaurant. Eventually, he was convicted in absentia for first-degree murder due to the circumstances surrounding his escape.
Video footage of Alkhalil’s daring escape revealed two men masquerading as contractors leading him through the facility’s hallways, demonstrating a well-planned conspiracy that successfully aided Alkhalil’s evasion from custody. Following his escape, Alkhalil was apprehended in Qatar later in the same year.
Currently, Potvin remains in custody after his extradition and is scheduled to make a court appearance on Friday, where the legal proceedings against him will continue. The implications of this case highlight ongoing challenges within correctional facilities and raise questions regarding security protocols in managing high-risk inmates.
This incident, involving both national and international law enforcement agencies, underscores the complexities involved in handling criminal cases that span across borders, particularly those involving organized crime and violent offenders. As the judicial process unfolds, further developments in Potvin’s case are anticipated, as well as additional insights into the measures that will be implemented to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
