A 28-year-old Bradford man has admitted being involved in a £1million heroin-dealing ring.

Imran Khan and six others all pleaded guilty to being involved in a scheme to buy drugs in Bradford to sell in Gloucester.

Police said it was the largest drugs seizure ever made by the Gloucestershire police.

Khan, of Broadley Crescent, West Bowling, admitted conspiring to supply heroin in what police described as a "highly organised drug syndicate".

Heroin with a street value of more than £500,000 was seized during Operation Cedar which began in March 2003.

The campaign led to the arrest of one of the men, Sarfraz Razvi, carrying four kilos of the drug at Leeds Railway Station on his way back to Gloucester.

Although police actually seized heroin worth £500,000, they estimated that the whole racket was worth more than £1 million.

Khan, Razvi and five others from Gloucester yesterday pleaded guilty to the charges at Bristol Crown Court ahead of a trial which had been set down to last for between four and six weeks.

After the hearing, Detective Inspector Neil Gavin, from Gloucester's Major Crime Unit, said: "This group was responsible for the distribution of large amounts of illegal drugs within the county.

"They benefited from the addiction and misery of drug users which in turn placed a heavy burden upon health, criminal justice and other public services.

"This case should send a warning to others involved in illegal drugs trade that we, and other law enforcement agencies, are committed to combating their activity."

As well as the heroin, cocaine worth £22,000 was seized in the raid along with £29,000 worth of cash.

Pre-sentence reports were ordered for May 27 by Judge John Foley.

A confiscation hearing will be held in October.

Prosecutor Neil Ford QC said Husen Ravi, from Gloucester, was arrested in Leeds in March 2003.

Investigations continued until May 2003 when brothers Zaheer Badat, 25, Imran Badat, 26, and Mohammed Badat, 33, were arrested in Gloucester.

Forty officers later raided other addresses in Gloucester.

Iqbal Chenia and Rosalind Jalowik, who are also from Gloucester pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

Khan, 28, was arrested at a later date, the court heard.