Coquitlam RCMP have released photos of two men suspected of helping Robby Alkhalil escape.

As police continued the hunt Friday for escaped accused killer Robby Alkhalil, a judge told jurors that his gangland murder trial would continue in B.C. Supreme Court.

Alkhalil escaped from North Fraser Pretrial Centre with the help of a fake construction crew that arrived at the Port Coquitlam facility Thursday to work on the air conditioning, sources said.

They allegedly used a plasma torch to help Alkhalil, 35, escape wearing a construction vest. The three then drove away in a white Econoline van just before 7 p.m.

On Friday, Coquitlam RCMP released two photos of men suspected of helping Alkhalil escape. Suspect No. 1 is described by police as a Caucasian man possibly in his 30s, bald with a narrow face, arched eyebrows and a slightly crooked nose. They describe suspect No. 2 as a Caucasian man possibly in his 30s, and bald with an oval face, light eyebrows and close-set eyes.

Time is of the essence and we need your help to get Alkhalil’s face in every airport, train station, taxi, rental car or anywhere else that he may be hiding, said Const. Deanna Law, a spokesperson with Coquitlam RCMP, in a statement Friday.

We are also hoping someone will recognize the photographs of two suspects who helped Alkhalil escape from jail. All three men are facing serious charges. If you see them, call 911 immediately.

Alkhalil is charged with the first-degree murder in January 2012 of gangster Sandip Duhre in the lobby of the Sheraton Wall Centre. And he is charged with conspiring with others to murder Sukh Dhak, an associate of Duhre’s,  between Aug. 6, 2011 and Aug. 8, 2012. He has pleaded not guilty to both counts.

The trial of Alkhalil and co-accused Larry Amero was due to resume Friday morning.

Justice Miriam Maisonville told the six-man, six-women jury that Alkhalil was missing and that the trial would carry on without him.

“Members of the jury, by now some or all of you will have heard that Mr. Alkhalil has absconded. I will instruct you later on what use, if any, you can make of that fact,” Maisonville said.

“I remind you again that both accused, including Mr. Alkhalil, who is not before you, is presumed innocent until the Crown has proven that they’re guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

“The trial will continue in the absence of Mr. Alkhalil, and the Crown will have to prove his guilt to you beyond a reasonable doubt, as well as Mr. Amero.”

She also told jurors “not to pay any further attention to any media accounts nor anything that you read or hear on the internet, social media or otherwise.”

“This direction is in accordance with my initial directions to you that you must decide this case on the basis of evidence that is presented in this courtroom,” Maisonville said before adjourning the trial until next Wednesday.

Late Thursday evening, Coquitlam RCMP issued a news release alerting the public to the escape.

Const. Deanna Law said Alkhalil is considered dangerous. She said police were called at 7:30 p.m. by North Fraser staff about the escape.

“At this time, the RCMP is working closely with B.C. Corrections and the investigation is ongoing,” she said.

“Alkhalil is confirmed to have left in a White Econoline van with two others who were posing or employed as contractors. The van left North Fraser Pretrial at approximately 6:48 p.m., and travelled westbound on Kingsway Avenue.

Alkhalil is described as 5’10” and 166 pounds with short black hair and brown eyes.

“If you see Alkhalil, police ask that you not approach him and instead call 911 immediately,” Law said.

Alkhalil is not the first person to escape from North Fraser, a provincial jail run by B.C. Corrections.

In August 2008,  Dean Douglas Sykes posed as his own cellmate and was taken to court where he was released as the other man. When he was later caught, he received a 14-month sentence.

And in November 2007, gangster Omid Tahvili bribed a prison guard who helped him escape from North Fraser. He was never recaptured.

The B.C. corrections officer, Edwin Ticne , was later sentenced to three years, three months in prison for breach of trust. Crown lost an appeal to increase the sentence.

Tahvili’s escape was recorded by video cameras showing that Ticne “escorted Mr. Tahvili through four security doors between his living unit and the public exit from the pre-trial centre where they parted,” the B.C. Court of Appeal noted.

Ticne then “facilitated Mr. Tahvili’s passage through the security doors by pushing buttons that alerted staff in the central control area who unlocked the doors after identifying the respondent and a person apparently a contract cleaner.”

Tahvili had changed into clothes matching those worn by contract cleaners at the pre-trial centre.

Ticne left the jail and “drove to a near-by service station where he was to receive $50,000 for getting Mr. Tahvili out of prison,” the court ruling said. “No one met him and he received no money.”

At the time of his escape, Tahvili was awaiting sentencing for kidnapping, sexual assault and threatening death or bodily harm. He was sentenced in absentia to six years and three months.

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