The Auckland man accused of a murder in Adelaide 18 years ago, could be in court there within a week.

The 43-year-old has been granted interim name suppression in court today after he was arrested at Piha last night.

He's accused of killing 42-year-old Robert Sabeckis in a car park early in January 2000.

In Adelaide, Detective Superintendent Des Bray says changes to the law allowing police to share DNA information, are what cracked the cold case open.

"Two detectives from South Australia flew to Auckland where they met with detectives from the Henderson area, and have been working with them since then."

The arrest came after police in South Australia earlier linked the man by DNA to the killing of Robert Peter Sabeckis on January 13, 2000.

Sabeckis, 42, was murdered at a car park on Tuit Road, Maslin Beach - a southern coastal suburb of Adelaide.

Sabeckis died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.

 

Police officer Mike Symonds with the modified shotgun used in the murder of Robert Sabeckis. (Photo / Supplied)

 

Police allege that after the shooting the killer drove off in Sabeckis's vehicle, which was then crashed into bushes and a fence further along Tuit Rd.

When police searched the area a sawn-off shotgun and jacket were located

They believe the gun was used to kill Sabeckis and the jacket belonged to the killer.

The shotgun and another firearm were stolen during a break-in at a house at Aldinga Beach south of Adelaide on New Year's Eve - just days before Sabeckis was murdered.

The house was then burnt down, destroying any potential forensic evidence.

DNA believed to belong to the killer was taken from several items.

It was never matched to any person until a change in New Zealand legislation allowed overseas law enforcement agencies to apply for access.

Detective Inspector Dave Lynch explained that the man was arrested in New Zealand on a warrant issued in the South Australia Magistrates court in January 2018.

He said the warrant was endorsed for execution in New Zealand under relevant legal provisions.

"South Australia Police will seek the man's extradition to South Australia to face the murder charge," Lynch said.

The arrest follows a DNA match under the New Zealand Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Act 1995 which was amended in 2016 to allow access to and disclosure of information on the New Zealand DNA Database for the purpose of responding to a request under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 1992.

"Since legislation was changed there have been several requests from overseas law enforcement agencies, however, this is the first search that hit against a profile held on the New Zealand National DNA Database," said Lynch.

"Since the identification was made New Zealand Police have been working closely with their South Australian colleagues towards yesterday's arrest.

"International law enforcement agencies are working closer together than ever before to ensure that people alleged to have been involved in serious criminal offending are able to be apprehended if they flee jurisdictions and this arrest is a great example of this."

He could not make further comment regarding the homicide investigation and referred media queries to South Australia Police.

A $200,000 reward was first offered in Australia in 2009 but police were unable to make an arrest until yesterday.