Montreal police have located the cab belonging to a taxi driver missing since Dec. 21 near downtown Montreal.

Belkacem Si Lakhal, 52, was last heard from around 5:15 p.m. on Dec. 21. He was working at the time.

He was not in the black 2012 Dodge Caravan taxi when it was found on Monday and police said they have found no evidence of a struggle or violence in the van.

Police said a member of the public noticed the cab near the corner of Nazareth Street and De la Commune Street West and reported it.

Investigators were working Monday to determine how long the van had been parked there.

Police spent Monday evening searching the banks of the Lachine Canal near where the van was parked. Investigators asked Parks Canada, which operates the waterway, to drain parts of the canal so the bottom can be searched.

Police gather at the location where Belkacem Si Lakhal's 2012 Dodge Caravan was found on Monday near Montreal's Old Port. (Radio-Canada)

Police seek public's help

On Sunday, police investigators requested the public's help to locate Si Lakhal.

Originally from Algeria, Si Lakhal is five-foot-seven, weighs 187 pounds and has brown eyes and greying brown hair.

He was wearing a grey jacket, dark pants and grey and black running shoes at the time of his disappearance.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911, contact their local police department or leave an anonymous and confidential tip with Info-Crime at 514-393-1133.

Felt his work was 'dangerous,' daughter says

Si Lakhal has both diabetes and high blood pressure and his family said they don't know if he had medication with him.

They are worried for his well-being.

Belkacem Si Lakha's wife, Florida, and daughter, Thanina, haven't heard him since around 5:15 p.m. on Dec. 21. (Radio-Canada)

Si Lakhal's 18-year-old daughter, Thanina, said he would always call and text to let his loved ones know where he was.

His wife, Florida, said he went to work on Dec. 21 after taking a few days off due to fatigue.

Phone calls and texts to Si Lakhal from his family went unanswered the night he disappeared and the next day.

If he was going to work overnight, he would send Thanina a message and let her know.

When she didn't receive one, she wrote her father but never received a reply.

"What we're thinking isn't very positive. He's a taxi driver, there's no security, there's no glass between the driver and passengers. We're imagining all possibilities. After a week, it can't be good," Thanina said.

She said her father was always very careful and never took risks.

"He didn't love his work, he found it dangerous, but he did it for his family," she said.

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