A routine traffic stop by Vancouver Police last Friday led to the arrest of a man wanted on an international warrant for violent offences.

 On October 2, at approximately 10:50 a.m., a Vancouver Police officer stopped a white SUV with Alberta license plates on E. Hastings Street near Hawks Avenue after observing the driver using an electronic device.

 A routine records check revealed that the driver was wanted on a Canada-wide immigration warrant issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). He was arrested and transported to the Vancouver Jail.

 The suspect has been identified as Halil Abrahim Akbalik, 25. He is currently 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.