A series of drug raids on the Big Island netted 47 arrests, 24 pounds of methamphetamine and broke up four distribution rings, according to an update on the raids by U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo.

Police and federal agents broke up the drug distribution rings, which used empty cattle carriers, cars and human couriers to smuggle about 40 percent of the illegal drugs that make it to the Big Island every year, Kubo said yesterday.

The rings each had their own distribution networks and smuggling pipelines to get drugs from California to the Big Island. The volume of drugs being shipped suggests some shipments were forwarded from the Big Island to Maui and O'ahu for sale.

The smugglers used couriers or concealed drugs in vehicles shipped from the Mainland, and in several cases meth was hidden in the feed compartment of a cattle container shipped to the Big Island.

Police served 45 search warrants in connection with the operation, and so far have made 47 arrests that have resulted in 19 indictments.

Authorities seized $429,677 in cash, and officials said the meth, cocaine and marijuana seized in the raids would have a retail street value of more than $1 million. Police also confiscated 31 firearms and 44 grams of cocaine in the raids.

The raids, dubbed "Operation Capsize," were first announced in June by Big Island law-enforcement authorities.