VICTORIA -- Saanich police arrested three people and seized multiple guns and a stash of drugs during a raid on a fortified home Thursday.

The search was the culmination of a region-wide drug-trafficking investigation that began in January, according to investigators.

During the search of the home in the 3300-block of Glasgow Avenue, police recovered two SKS rifles, a modified shotgun and a handgun, police said in a statement Friday.

Also recovered were ammunition, imitation guns, thousands of dollars in cash and substances believed to be fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.

Police say one person was arrested at the scene while two others were arrested in the 1600-block of Hillside Avenue in Victoria.

“Most concerning was the fact that this residence was fortified from the inside and had high-powered firearms with ammunition located just inside the entrance,” said Const. Markus Anastasiades in the statement.

“This was a very dangerous situation that posed a potential risk to the police or any member of the public that would have approached this residence," he added.

The Greater Victoria Emergency Response Unit and the Integrated Canine Section aided in the investigation.

Saanich police say two of those arrested remain in custody Friday and are facing multiple firearms and drug-trafficking charges.

Police are investigating whether the seizure is related to recent gang activity in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.