VANCOUVER -- Police in Surrey say they seized $20,000 in cash and more than a kilogram of crystal meth during a drug trafficking investigation that reached its peak last week.

The investigation began in mid-February and was focused on a home in Cloverdale that police suspected was linked to drug trafficking, Surrey RCMP said in a news release Friday.

On March 15, the investigation led officers to a parking lot in South Surrey, in the 2000 block of 152 Street, where they saw two men and a woman allegedly engaged in a drug deal.

The three people left the area separately, and were each arrested shortly afterwards, police said.

One of the men left the parking lot on foot and was arrested nearby. Police allege he had more than $20,000 in cash in his possession at the time of his arrest.

The other man left the area in a vehicle and was also arrested nearby, police said, adding that officers saw him throwing a container out his window before stopping for them.

Police said when they recovered the container, they found it was filled with nearly a kilogram of what they suspected was crystal methamphetamine.

The woman was arrested at a home near the intersection of 184 Street and 56 Avenue, according to police. Officers returned to the residence the following day to execute a search warrant.

During their search, investigators found another 554 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine, as well as drug paraphernalia, drug packaging materials, and a replica handgun, police said. They also found stolen identification, cheques and license plates.

Each of the three people arrested has been released from custody, and charges have not yet been laid, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.