Taipei, Jan 9 : A fugitive on the run for 15 years was arrested after nostalgia for stewed pork rice caused him to return to Taiwan, a news report said Saturday.

Chang Wen-tzung, 56, escaped to China after he was charged with illegally consuming the controlled substance codeine, the Central News Agency said.

Chang insisted that police found codeine in his urine because he had taken cough syrup which contained codeine, but he was still sentenced to three years and 50 days in prison.

Chang avoided jail by fleeing to Guangzhou on the mainland, where he had been living ever since, the report said.

Long years in exile made Chang miss Taiwanese food, especially stewed pork rice, which is a local staple served in almost every restaurant and roadside food stall.

On Friday, Chang flew back to Taiwan hoping to eat home cooking and spend the Chinese New Year holidays with his family in Taichung, central Taiwan, but was arrested at the airport because his name was on the wanted list.

When Chang told police that his craving had brought him back to the island, an officer went to a night market to buy him a bowl of stewed pork rice to eat, before turning him over for prosecution Saturday. (DPA)