New Delhi, Jun 30 (IANS): The Delhi police Special Cell on Wednesday busted an international drug cartel with the arrest of four key members, including two African nationals, with four kg of heroin worth more than Rs 16 crore.

Special Cell Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, said a police team had arrested four persons who have been identified as John (a Nigeria resident), Anim Paschal, (a Ghanian), Banto and Raj Kumar aka Raju, both of whom are Delhi residents.

The Special Cell seized four kg of heroin worth more than Rs 16 crore in the international market and recovered Rs 1.5 lakh cash from the accused persons, which was the sale proceeds, Yadav added.

He said the police received a tip-off regarding the activities of an international drug cartel in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

"This information was further developed through technical as well as human surveillance. It took nearly four to five months' painstaking efforts to develop this raw information," the DCP added.

He said recently specific information was received that two key members of this drug cartel, Banto along with her husband who indulged in illegal drug supply would come to receive the consignment of drugs from African nationals in Delhi's Uttam Nagar area.

"Banto, Raj Kumar and two foreign nationals John and Anim Paschal were apprehended near Goyal hospital in Chander Vihar at 3.10 p.m," he added. Yadav said all accused were thoroughly interrogated during which they disclosed that they were part of an international narcotics syndicate.

"Banto disclosed that she indulged in the illegal trade of supplying heroin in connivance with her husband Raj Kumar. She used to procure heroin from John and Anim and supply it to various drug peddlers of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and NCR," Yadav said.

The DCP said during interrogation John and Anim Pascal revealed that they had been working as drugs carriers for their fellow Nigerian nationals since the last two to three years.

"Both accused John and Anim Pascal disclosed that suppliers of heroin procured it from Afghan nationals and sent their consignments to England, France, Italy, Canada, South Africa, Nigeria and other countries, including India, through courier companies," he added.

In Delhi, John and Anim Pascal used to deliver these consignments in areas where Nigerian citizens live such as Uttam Nagar, Mohan Garden and Dwarka so that they could mingle in the crowd of African people and it would be difficult for the law enforcement agencies to identify them from the locations of their phones.