Four fugitives who allegedly murdered a man nearly three years ago to cover up cattle rustling were arrested in Kampong Thom province’s Baray district on Tuesday, police said.

District deputy police chief Ker Kanhchana said yesterday that suspects Lork Thet, 38, Eang Eoun, 28, Keng Len, 38, and Seoung Vy, 35, had been on the lam for years after the murder in Baray’s Krava commune.

According to the arrest warrant, signed by provincial court prosecutor Duong Sarorn in September of 2013, the four were wanted for the murder of Men Samnang, 38, who was killed east of a local reservoir in Krava’s Pong Ror Ling village after he found out the group was responsible for local cattle thefts.

“After killing the victim, they fled for a while. Two months ago, they showed up in the village again and the central justice authority surrounded and arrested them on the afternoon of March 22 while they were drinking in the village,” Kanhchana said yesterday.

After the arrest, the suspects were sent to the Kampong Thom Provincial Prison on preliminary charges of “intentional murder”, he added.