Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Calgary mother has been reunited with her young son after police arrested the child’s father in Mauritius, more than two years after the boy was allegedly abducted and taken overseas.
Calgary police announced Tuesday that 62-year-old Muhammad Zia-Ur Rahman has been charged with parental child abduction. Police confirmed Rahman had previously worked in Alberta as a doctor. He was arrested in Mauritius in December 2025, and last week Calgary Police Service (CPS) Sgt. Scott Mizibrocky travelled to the island nation to escort him back to Canada.
The child, who was five years old at the time of the alleged abduction, was returned to Calgary in mid-December. According to police, the now seven-year-old has been re-enrolled in school and is adjusting well.
“He’s quite happy, he’s playing with his siblings, he’s laughing, he’s playing video games,” Sgt. Mizibrocky said. “Just what you’d expect with a seven-year-old child.”
Police allege the abduction was extensively planned. According to investigators, on Dec. 3, 2023, Rahman travelled from Calgary to Montreal and then onward to Turkey, after which he immediately cut off all contact with the child’s mother.
Calgary police say Rahman purchased property abroad, obtained new passports, relied on forged documents and moved frequently over the past two years to avoid detection. The international search spanned several countries, including Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan and Vanuatu.
The investigation involved close coordination between Calgary police, the RCMP, Global Affairs Canada and Interpol. Police said Interpol’s international alerts for both the suspect and the child ultimately led to Rahman’s arrest.
On Dec. 16, 2025, Rahman was spotted with his son at an airport in Mauritius, where he was detained by local authorities. CPS was subsequently notified of the arrest.
Sgt. Mizibrocky said he received the call from Interpol at around 1 a.m. Mountain Time and immediately contacted the child’s mother. “The first words out of my mouth were, ‘We have him,’” he said.
Four days after Rahman’s arrest, the boy’s mother travelled to Mauritius, where she was reunited with her son for the first time in more than two years. The pair returned to Calgary the following day.
Calgary police praised Mauritian authorities for their assistance in the case. “It was absolutely amazing the support we received from Mauritius,” Mizibrocky said. “Without their co-operation, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Rahman remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. Police said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges have not been ruled out.
Police also noted that Rahman has previously faced criminal charges but has no convictions. In August 2023, he was charged in relation to several domestic assault-related offences, which were later withdrawn in October of that year.
