Special strike force operations on Vancouver Island, B.C., have put two men behind bars and led to the seizure of loaded handguns, a rifle with a silencer, ammunition, body armour and drugs.

The two Victoria-based men, Jordan Cody Moreland and Andrew Brian Ritch, are both in custody and facing charges of drug possession and firearms possession, among other offences.

"The firearms seized through these efforts, including loaded handguns and an assault-style rifle modified to include a silencer, shows the risk that these individuals pose to our community and the vital need for these types of operations," said Victoria Police Department Chief Del Manak in a statement.

The department's strike force uses advanced investigative techniques like clandestine surveillance and undercover operations to focus particularly on crimes involving guns and fentanyl.

Many of the investigations are sparked by tips from citizens.

In this case, the investigation lasted five months before any arrests were made and officers initially were tipped off by the public last fall. The two men were arrested late last week.