TOKYO - A JAPANESE man who caused a stir by tossing girls' underwear across his neighbourhood was arrested on Tuesday for alleged involvement in a murder-robbery 14 years ago, police said.

Kazuo Oshitani, 48, was arrested earlier this month for scattering girls' underwear and nylons - after wearing them himself - across his block in western Osaka prefecture.

The bizarre case made nationwide news, with most media considering his personal habit simply to be pathetic rather than sinister.

But a DNA test of bodily fluid found in the underwear matched a sample taken from the scene of a robbery-murder at a hotel in Osaka, a police spokesman said.

'Police arrested him on charges of the robbery-murder of a woman in 1994,' the spokesman said.

Oshitani, an office clerk and father of three, denied the charges, he said.

The arrest came one year before the statute of limitations to prosecute a person for the crime is set to expire.

Oshitani drew police attention after decorating his neighbours' bicycles, cars and even their front doors with girls' underpants.

Police, who had received about 170 complaints from local residents, raided his house and confiscated more than 200 pairs of underwear and a few sex toys.

Until the murder case arose, he was arrested only on charges of littering. -- AFP