The Alkhalil Brothers: A Chronicle of Crime in Canada
Five brothers, three murdered, one the country’s most wanted fugitive. From Surrey’s gang wars to a plasma-torch prison break to capture in Qatar — the Alkhalil family’s saga spans two decades, three continents, and some of Canada’s most notorious contract killings.
The Alkhalil family, of Palestinian origin, immigrated to Canada from Saudi Arabia in December 1990, settling in Surrey, British Columbia. The family included five brothers: Khalil (born 1981), Hisham (known as “Terry,” born 1982), Mahmoud (1984), Nabil (1979 or 1980), and Rabih (known as “Robby,” born 1987). The brothers soon became entangled in Metro Vancouver’s gang conflicts — and over the next two decades, the family would become one of Canada’s most infamous crime syndicates.
Early History & Family Background
A feud with the rival Duhre crime group erupted in the early 2000s, and violence swiftly followed. On January 18, 2001, 19-year-old Khalil Alkhalil was shot dead at the entrance of a Surrey apartment building. The shooter claimed self-defense and was acquitted in court, but was later gunned down himself in a suspected retaliation.
Less than two years later, on August 16, 2003, Mahmoud Alkhalil was killed in a shootout on a nightclub dance floor in downtown Vancouver (Loft Six in Gastown) during a clash involving Hells Angels members. After losing two sons to gang violence, the remaining family relocated to Ottawa in 2004 in an effort to start fresh. The move did not end their involvement in organized crime. Over the next two decades, the surviving brothers — Nabil, Hisham, and Rabih — became key figures in a nationwide drug empire and gang alliance, marked by high-profile arrests, prison escapes, and deadly conflicts.
Organized Crime Affiliations
All three surviving Alkhalil brothers were deeply enmeshed in organized crime networks spanning Canada and the world. In the 2010s, the Alkhalils became leading figures in the Wolfpack Alliance — Rabih in particular is identified as one of its leaders, alongside Larry Amero of the Hells Angels.
Alliance Name: Wolfpack | Scale: International | Member Groups: Multiple
The Wolfpack formed in the wake of volatile B.C. gang wars, uniting members of different organizations against common rivals (notably the Dhak-Duhre coalition). It bridged several notorious gangs: the Alkhalils, the Bacon Brothers (Red Scorpions), elements of the Independent Soldiers, and members of the Hells Angels.
By bringing together criminals who might otherwise be competitors, the alliance sought to dominate drug distribution and eliminate mutual enemies. Drug trafficking was the primary bond — the Wolfpack collectively brokered massive cocaine shipments from Mexican cartels, with Rabih acting as a key link to suppliers including the Sinaloa Cartel. Members used encrypted communications; investigators later uncovered messages discussing shipments and murder plots. Rabih’s close friendship with Larry Amero — the two shared a luxury Montreal penthouse around 2011 — exemplified the Vancouver-Montreal axis at the alliance’s core.
The Three Brothers Lost
Khalil Alkhalil (19) — Gunned down in Surrey, B.C. on January 18, 2001, in a believed drug-related confrontation.
Mahmoud Alkhalil (19) — Killed in a shootout at Vancouver’s Loft Six nightclub on August 16, 2003, in a clash with Hells Angels associates.
Nabil Alkhalil (39) — Murdered on August 24, 2018 in Mexico City over a business dispute, shot by a bodyguard during an argument.
Notable Killings Orchestrated
The Alkhalil story is punctuated by violence — both as victims and as orchestrators of deadly attacks.
A defining act attributed to the Alkhalil crew was the assassination of Sandip Duhre — a high-profile gangster and co-leader of the rival Dhak-Duhre group. On January 17, 2012, Duhre was shot multiple times at close range while dining at the Sheraton Wall Centre hotel restaurant in downtown Vancouver. The gunman, disguised as a patron, was Dean Michael Wiwchar — a hitman later linked to Rabih Alkhalil, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the killing in October 2025.
One of the most notorious crimes involving the Alkhalils was the contract killing of Johnny Raposo, 35, in Toronto. After a cocaine deal soured, Rabih and his Wolfpack partners decided to have Raposo eliminated. On June 18, 2012, as Euro Cup soccer played on TV, hitman Dean Wiwchar walked up to Raposo at the Sicilian Sidewalk Café in Toronto’s Little Italy and shot him dead in broad daylight — while he ate ice cream and watched the game.
In court it was revealed that Alkhalil had promised Wiwchar $100,000 for the hit, referring to Raposo in coded texts as “the ice cream boy” and urging Wiwchar to “bang that one off.” In 2017, Rabih and three accomplices were convicted of first-degree murder.
Rabih “Robby” Alkhalil | In Qatari custody — Held in Doha since Sep 2025; two first-degree murder convictions; return to Canada unresolved
Hisham “Terry” Alkhalil | At liberty — Project Anarchy charges stayed for delay; assets forfeited
Khalil, Mahmoud, Nabil | Deceased — All three murdered (2001, 2003, 2018)
Dean Wiwchar | Convicted — Pleaded guilty Oct 2025 to two counts of conspiracy to commit murder (Duhre, Dhak)
Escape Crew | Before the courts — John Potvin extradited from Spain Jan 2026; co-defendants Ryan Van Gool and Edward Ayoub await trial in B.C.; former correctional officer Naila Sheikh charged May 2026 over her alleged role, with a warrant outstanding for her arrest
Wolfpack Role | Leadership — Rabih a key cocaine-import coordinator and co-leader
Outstanding Issue | Extradition — No formal treaty with Qatar complicates Rabih’s return
Dean Wiwchar — Subject Profile
The Wolfpack Alliance — Organization Profile
Hells Angels Canada — Organization Profile
Montreal Street Gangs — Special Report
Rizzuto Crime Family — Organization Profile
- Gangland Files — Rabih Alkhalil, Larry Amero and Dean Wiwchar subject profiles; Wolfpack Alliance profile (internal cross-referencing)
- Edwards, Peter & Nájera, Luis — The Wolfpack: The Millennial Mobsters Who Brought Chaos and the Cartels to the Canadian Underworld (2021)
- Bolan, Kim — “Another Alkhalil brother murdered – this time in Mexico.” Vancouver Sun, Oct. 2018
- Bolan, Kim & Fraser, Keith — “B.C. jury convicts gangsters charged in fatal feud.” Vancouver Sun, Aug. 2022
- Bolan, Kim — “Gangster, killer, escapee: How Robby Alkhalil broke out of a B.C. jail.” Vancouver Sun, Dec. 2022
- RCMP / BOLO Program — Most Wanted designation and reward notices (2022, 2024)
- CFSEU-BC / RCMP Federal Policing — Statement confirming Alkhalil in custody (Sep. 2025) and confirming escape-related charges, including the May 2026 charge against Naila Sheikh
- Court records — Project Anarchy, Project Loquace, and the Raposo, Duhre, and Dhak murder proceedings