Thai authorities on Friday repatriated a Cambodian national who had been on the run for some 20 years after allegedly committing a murder in Banteay Meanchey province, officials said yesterday.

Puth Lorn, deputy director of Cambodia-Thailand Border Communication at Doung International Border Checkpoint in Battambang province’s Kamrieng district, said that suspect Me Koch, 57, had been repatriated under the bilateral extradition agreement between the countries at the request of the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court.

Koch, who hails from Baray village in Svay Chek district’s Tapho commune, has been wanted since a warrant was issued for his arrest following the 1995 murder of a man living in the same village.

“After getting the suspect from Thailand, our authorities prepared the documents for the extradition, and the suspect was handed over to the Banteay Meanchey provincial police, who will forward the suspect to the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court for further procedures,” Lorn said.

Phoeung Mansoeng, director of the serious penal police office of the provincial police, said yesterday that Koch had been placed under pre-trial detention on Saturday, pending further action by investigating judge Ih Sarving.

Mansoeng added that he was unable to provide the details of the alleged murder because it had taken place before he assumed his current position.