A Bradford father-of-five wept with relief after he was cleared of involvement in a major heroin supply ring.

Anwar Khan, 38, of Sandford Road, Bradford Moor, was unanimously found not guilty by a jury yesterday of conspiracy to supply the class A drug.

After the verdict, at Leeds Crown Court, Mr Khan, a radio operator with Tyersal Taxis in Sticker Lane, Bradford, told the Telegraph & Argus: "The last nine months have been a terrible time for me and my family.

"I was saying from day one that I was innocent and I've been through hell. Justice has been done and I've woken from a nightmare."

Six members of a criminal enterprise involved in the large-scale importation and distribution of heroin from Europe to the UK were convicted following an investigation by the National Crime Squad.

Three were found guilty after the 12-week trial at Leeds and three pleaded guilty. Taxi driver Ibrar Ahmed, of Thornbury Drive, Thornbury, Bradford, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply class A drugs and possessing them with intent to supply.

He was arrested on the M62 near Bradford with ten kilogrammes of heroin, worth an estimated street value of about £1 million, hidden in a confectionery box containing Twix bars in his car boot.

He had been tailed by undercover detectives to Manchester, where he picked up the drugs at a supermarket car park. A search of his home found £30,000 in cash.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Dave Tattershall, of the NCS, said: "This was a large and well-organised criminal enterprise, with members based across the country. The fact we seized more than £3 million worth of heroin during the investigation indicates this was big business for those involved."

Mr Khan said he now wanted to spend time with his wife and family.

All the accused were charged with conspiracy to supply heroin. Prosecutor Sean Morris accused Mr Khan of being a key player in an international plot to distribute the drug in the UK.

But Mr Khan told the jury he was entirely innocent and did not realise who the conspirators were and what was going on.

Yesterday the jury convicted three men of the conspiracy charge - Asif Khan, 27, of Colne Road, Burnley, Turkish national Yuksel Koc, 36, and Casper Winblad, 24, a Danish national. All six were remanded in custody for sentence. The jury acquitted another Turkish national, Semih Oskeskin, 41.