New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS): A Iranian man was arrested in Delhi and heroin, valued at over Rs 5 crore, smuggled from Afghanistan recovered from him, a Special Cell official said on Tuesday.

The member of international drug syndicate has been identified as Mohsen Vahedi, 29, a resident of Iran's Torbatejam and the recovered heroin was smuggled in India from Afghanistan via Iran.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Alok Kumar said that on January 1, a police team was on checking the records of foreigners etc. residing in the hotels situated in the area of south district, and on suspicion, thoroughly checked the record of an Iranian guest in hotel Sunroof Residency, Hauz Rani, in Malviya Nagar area.

During the checking, police recovered one kg fine quality of Heroin from him.

"Vahedi disclosed to have been indulging in drug supplying racket in Delhi/NCR," said the DCP.

On his interrogation, it was revealed that he is a member of a big international narcotic drug cartel and procured the heroin from drug lord Habeeb, operating from Afghanistan.

Vahedi also disclosed that quality of heroin, manufactured and smuggled from Afghanistan is much superior and on high demand internationally as well as in India as comparison to the heroin manufactured from opium in legalised cultivated areas in India.

"From the last 5-6 years this new route has become prominent for smuggling of heroin in other parts of the country from Delhi to Tehran," the DCP said.

"Though the heroin brought from Afghanistan is costly, it is of very good quality manufactured from legally grown opium in traditional areas of Bareilly, Badaun, Barabanki in UP, Mandsaur in MP, and Jhalawar, Chhitorgarh, and Bhawani Mandi in Rajasthan," he added.