Interpol

Boukerouis had been known to police only as "the woman with the Richmond dental crown" because of recent dental work

A woman whose body was discovered in France more than 20 years ago has been identified by police, and a suspect in her murder arrested.

Hakima Boukerouis is the fifth woman to be named through an international police campaign called Operation Identify Me, which was launched in 2023.

Her mutilated body was discovered in a concealed water butt in northeastern France in January 2005, but police were unable to identify her.

The case marks the first time since the campaign launched that a suspect has been arrested.

In a statement on Tuesday, global policing agency Interpol said a breakthrough came when the victim was identified by French police using "familial DNA searching".

"This identification underscores how important it is to keep investigating unresolved cold cases," Interpol's secretary general Valdecy Urquiza said.

"As part of the Identify Me campaign, the efforts of the…