The life and crimes of Abd’l-Malik Rhyan Loubissi-Morris

By Hannah Mondiwa

Last month, high-level fentanyl trafficker Abd’l-Malik Rhyan Loubissi-Morris was sentenced in a Kelowna courtroom to 11 years in jail by Justice Steven Wilson.

But it was not his first time before a B.C. judge. Despite being only 25 years old, Loubissi-Morris already has a long and severe criminal record across the province for offences including conspiracy to traffic illicit drugs and a firearm misdemeanor.

Loubissi-Morris was responsible for shooting an innocent bystander who was on vacation in Surrey on July 7, 2017.  This incident led to a police raid of an apartment he regularly visited in Kelowna.

This search led to the discovery of drug paraphernalia, several weapons, large quantities of cash, and most seriously, $226,000-worth of fentanyl.

The young man was arrested in 2018 for possession of fentanyl and reckless driving when he struck a pedestrian in Vernon.

Personal history affects present life

An unstable upbringing and an absent father, were a couple of the reasons that Loubissi-Morris entered the criminal life, was the message from the judge at sentencing.

Loubissi-Morris’s background was highlighted in court. This included his Algerian father moving to Sweden when he was five years old and  dropping out of the 10^th grade.

He also had to contend with his mother’s extremely poor health,  which included a cancer diagnosis, meaning she was in and out of the hospital. As such, Loubissi-Morris experienced a rough upbringing with little guidance. This instability, according to the judge, was what led him to “escalating behaviours.”

These escalating behaviours have resulted in his severe criminal activities. Loubissi-Morris was the main person behind a high-level drug operation in B.C.’s interior. He trafficked drugs in cities all over the province, specifically in the Okanagan and the Kootenays, for easy money.

Loubissi-Morris pleaded guilty to all charges.

The judge gave Loubissi-Morris a tough sentence in the hopes that this will deter other potential drug dealers from entering the fray. As a young man this is a serious sentence, and he will spend the remainder of his youth behind bars because of his drug-dealing.

In a time where overdoses of fentanyl make the news all the time, the judge was indignant at Loubissi-Morris contributing to worsen the devastating public health crisis. Fentanyl is a very serious drug to its extremely addictive nature and also the ease of which users can overdose on the drug.