The three are identified as Stanley Chimeize Alasonye (41), the mastermind of the drug syndicate, Henry Okolie (41) and Uchechukwu Peter Igbonaju (37) were arrested with 1 kg and 300 gram of heroin, they said.

According to the police, the gang was recently active in Uttam Nagar and Mohan Garden.

The accused were intruders and lived here without valid visas, they said.

The contraband was smuggled in India from Nigeria via Russia through Indian ports, the police said.

Dwarka Deputy Commissioner of Police Shankar Choudhary said based on a tip-off, the police laid a trap in Mohan Garden on October 1 and arrested Okolie and Igbonaju with 1 kg heroin.

On their instance, Alasonye was arrested on October 4 and 300 gms of heroin was seized from his possession, he said.

"Alasonye procured the drug from an African vendor and has a large customer base in Delhi," Choudhary added.