HILO, Hawai'i — Narcotics officers arrested two Wai'anae men last week and seized 22 ounces of crystal methamphetamine in the largest Kona ice bust so far this year.

The drugs have an estimated wholesale value of $88,000, but would sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars on the street, said Capt. Robert Hickcox, commander of the West Hawai'i criminal investigation division.

Hickcox said police are seeking other people allegedly tied to a smuggling operation that moved drugs from the West Coast to the Big Island.

"There are other people who were identified as being part of this group, and we will be making contact with them," Hickcox said.

The case was developed by the West Hawai'i Ice Task Force after one of the two men stopped by the Kona police station to discuss another case with officers. Police arrested the man, and after the arrest learned he had been staying in a hotel room in Keauhou.

Officers then visited the hotel room and gathered information that allowed them to obtain a search warrant for the room, Hickcox said.

Police said Vicente Dulai Deguzman, 25, of Wai'anae was arrested Thursday in Kailua on two bench warrants charging him with failure to appear in court.

Police obtained a search warrant for his car, and allegedly discovered small amounts of crystal methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun inside.

The following day, officers served a search warrant on the Keauhou hotel room and allegedly found the methamphetamine along with about an ounce of dried marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Police also seized a car and $16,450 in cash, and arrested a second man.

Deguzman was charged with unlawful methamphetamine trafficking, three counts of promotion of a dangerous drug, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of promotion of a detrimental drug, and four firearms offenses.

Junard Ciubal Ceno, 27, also of Wai'anae, was charged with unlawful methamphetamine trafficking, two counts of promotion of a dangerous drug, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and one count of promotion of a detrimental drug.

Ceno was being held yesterday at the Kona police cellblock in lieu of $250,000 bail, and Deguzman was held in lieu of $250,200 bail, police said.

Big Island police encourage people with information about drug trafficking to call the island's ice hotline at 329-0-ICE (329-0423) in Kona and 934-VICE (934-8423) in Hilo.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.