A routine traffic stop by Vancouver Police on October 2 led to the arrest of a man wanted on an international warrant for violent offences.
At approximately 10:50 a.m., an officer stopped a white SUV with Alberta licence plates on East Hastings Street near Hawks Avenue after observing the driver using an electronic device.
A records check revealed the driver was wanted on a Canada-wide immigration warrant issued by the Canada Border Services Agency. He was arrested and taken to the Vancouver Jail.
Police identified the man as 25-year-old Halil Abrahim Akbalik. He is wanted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for rape and other offences, and is also the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Toronto Police Service’s Fugitive Team.
Custody of Akbalik has since been transferred to the CBSA.
