A dozen people accused of shipping more than $1.2 million worth of crystal methamphetamine a month from the Philippines and California to Kaua'i are in custody following the dismantling of an international drug smuggling ring, law enforcement officials said.

State, county and federal law enforcement officials coordinated raids on O'ahu, Maui, the Big Island, Kaua'i, and in Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday and apprehended the suspects, who are accused of shipping 40 pounds of ice a month.

The Kaua'i cartel shipped crystal meth from the Philippines using the U.S. mail and human couriers who taped the drugs to their thighs and boarded commercial flights bound for O'ahu.

"The greed of the drug dealers we arrested knew no boundaries as they tried to destroy our community and even worse, our children. Drug dealers are like a cancer in the community," said Kaua'i police Chief Darryl Perry. "Our island home is safer because of these efforts."

Another segment of the group brought ice into the state from Sacramento.

All are charged with conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine and possession and face mandatory minimum prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years, with maximum penalties of life in prison.

"Anyone who dares to import drugs into this state, or to distribute this poison to our citizens, will have a day of reckoning," said U.S. attorney Ed Kubo at a news conference yesterday.

On Wednesday, law enforcement officers executed 14 search warrants and seized 6 pounds of ice, currency, four firearms and an undisclosed amount of property.

A dozen people are in custody at the Federal Detention Center near the airport.

The probe began as Drug Enforcement Administration agents and Kaua'i vice officers were investigating a family that was growing marijuana on state land.

Intelligence gathered during the course of that investigation led federal agents to apply for federal wiretap permits allowing them to listen to the conversations taking place on at least three mobile phones.

From May to July, a state and federal task force monitored the conversations and actions of the group.

Intelligence gathered from sources indicated the group was smuggling 40 pounds of ice into the state each month, according to the DEA.

The group was selling a pound of ice for between $30,000 and $40,000.

"Forty pounds, that's a lot of dope. We needed to make sure we had a significant impact," said Anthony D. Williams, assistant special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Honolulu district office. "We needed to find the heavy hitters and grab them."

Between June and July, two of the accused, Edward C. Cachola, who has two prior state felony drug convictions, and James K. Kiko, also a convicted state drug felon, flew back and forth between Sacramento and Kaua'i, buying methamphetamine for sale on Kaua'i, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court.

During the trips, the men allegedly smuggled quantities ranging from 376.6 grams to 2 pounds of methamphetamine by taping the drug to their bodies and boarding commercial flights bound for Kaua'i.

Cachola also had methamphetamine mailed to him from Sacramento, documents said.

Another man, Wilson B. Leones, allegedly smuggled at least 94 grams of methamphetamine from the Philippines for distribution on Kaua'i, according to court documents.

Brian Keith Chrzanowski, 36, of O'ahu was found in possession of 19 grams of ice on Kaua'i, all of it taped to his crotch, according to court documents.

Summer Keala Ebesu, 25, and Sheena Gail Semana, 24, both of Kaua'i, were arrested after they were caught in possession of ice they were supposed to be "keeping safe," according to court documents.

Chraznowski was arrested in 'Aiea and Kiko in Waimanalo.

The investigation is ongoing and federal agents are looking into where and how the group hid their drug proceeds.

The investigation was a collaboration of the Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; police on four islands; state deputy sheriffs; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Drug arrests: A dozen people have been accused of being part of a ring that smuggled 40 pounds of crystal methamphetamine a month into Kaua'i. They were identified by officials as:

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.