A PURITON man with previous convictions for sex trafficking is back behind bars after twice trying to evade the authorities in Asia, police say.

Andrew Wallace, 39, was convicted at Taunton Crown Court in 2010 of trying to bring two Thai prostitutes to Somerset to work in the sex trade, and sentenced to two years in prison.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: “He was released from Channings Wood prison in Newton Abbot in December 2010 but breached his license and flew to Thailand.

“Wallace was recalled to prison on January 7, 2011, when Devon and Cornwall Police worked with the Probation Service, the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and the Thai authorities, and he was deported.

“However, he failed to make his connecting flight at Mumbai and went to Cambodia.

“The partner agencies teamed up with Interpol and the Cambodian authorities who found the fugitive and subsequently detained him at an immigration centre.

“The Far East cannot been seen as a safe haven for those who try to run and hide from justice.

“We have tried and tested procedures in place and work with other agencies in many parts of the world to bring wanted people back to justice in the UK.

“This was a difficult enquiry but tireless work by the agencies involved has resulted in Andrew Wallace being returned to prison where justice will be done.”

Police say it will now be up to the Home Office to determine how many days of his sentence Wallace has to serve.