Members of the Vancouver Police Department's Emergency Response Team used 'flash-bang' grenades to take down several suspects in an alleged kidnapping plot Tuesday morning. (CBC)

Police in Metro Vancouver say they rescued an 18-year-old Chinese student, who was kidnapped on the weekend, in a dramatic early morning takedown.

"Members of the VPD … executed numerous takedowns on multiple vehicles and the hostage was rescued uninjured," Deputy Chief Doug Lepard said in a news release.

Five men were arrested after officers stopped at least three vehicles early Thursday morning.

The arrests were made at Fraser Street and Kingsway, in an underground lot on Kingsway and at Main Street and SE Marine Drive in Vancouver. No injuries were reported.

"Reports of shots fired in the area were the result of 'flash-bang' grenades, being used during the rescue by Emergency Response Team members, which give off a loud noise," said Lepard.

Kidnapped in the West End

The Chinese student was kidnapped from his residence in Vancouver's West End on Feb. 15.

Vancouver police said they were notified about the kidnapping by one of his family members, who called from China to report that they had been contacted to pay a large ransom.

Officers then set up surveillance and wiretapped phones at several Burnaby homes, which they thought might be connected to the case.

On Thursday morning around 5 a.m. PT, officers conducting surveillance noticed a vehicle leaving one of the residences with three men, including one who had been identified as a possible suspect in the kidnapping.

Around 7:25 a.m., police stopped a vehicle near the Metrotown shopping centre using special grenades to incapacitate the occupants and rescued the teen.

Investigation taxed resources

"The investigation is still very active and more arrests may be made and several search warrants will be executed," said Lepard.

The police department said the investigation taxed resources to the limit, because of several simultaneous investigations into "an unprecedented wave of gang shootings in the region, and our efforts to curb that violence."

The kidnapping investigation was led by Insp. Les Yeo, who was the team commander during the high-profile kidnapping and rescue of Graham McMynn in the spring of 2006.