MONTREAL -- A Quebec organized-crime squad focusing partly on bikers led a major bust across several regions on Thursday, arresting 15 people and rounding up more than 50 long guns, drugs, and even crossbows, among other things.

Officers did about 15 searches, seemingly in private residences, but in a release they didn't say where.

However, more than 110 bars or other licensed establishments also got searched in a "visibility operation" in Montreal, Quebec, Laval, Longueuil, Mauricie, Estrie, Central Quebec and Gatineau, provincial police said in a release.

More than 110 officers from 13 police forces took part, organized by a special squad with "a mandate to specifically target organized crime leaders, including members in good standing of the Hells Angels."

It was part of a provincial strategy to crack down on illegal gun trafficking, called Operation Centaure, but police rounded up many other things as well.

Within the day, police seized more than 50 long guns, nearly 10 handguns, many kinds of bullets, "several" compressed air pistols and pellets, "some crossbows," and bulletproof vests.

They also found and seized huge quantities of drugs: more than 170 kilos of cocaine, more than 495 pounds of cannabis, and unspecified amounts of methamphetamine and crystal meth.

Over $100,000 was also seized.

Investigations are ongoing, police said.

On top of searching bars, police put in place five road checkpoints that, they said, were "in parallel" with the licensed establishment operation.

They didn't explain how the two were connected or what reasoning they used for the locations of the checkpoints.

In total, officers checked 1,792 vehicles and arrested more than 40 people through that operation. Three people were arrested for impaired driving, 10 tickets were issued, and one vehicle was seized.

"The CENTAURE strategy is mandated to ensure constant pressure on organized crime" and therefore fight arms trafficking, police wrote.

They also said tips from the public helped in the operation and asked people to report any information they have on illegal guns to a new CENTAURE-specific phone line, 1-833-888-ARME (2763).