SALISBURY - An extensive search of a suspected drug dealer's home yesterday revealed hundreds of weapons, including a World War II-era machine gun, land mines, grenades and an 81 mm bomb shell, much of which had to be taken to a remote location at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation to be safely detonated.

Police showed up at 28 Pike St. on Monday night to investigate David R. Plonowski, 44, who worked at his family's funeral home in Lawrence for several years, on suspicion of cocaine trafficking.

A police SWAT team executed a search warrant at the home and found the suspect with 18 grams of cocaine and a loaded pistol in his pocket, Salisbury police Chief David L'Esperance said yesterday.

A further search of the house that lasted well into yesterday afternoon found 50 to 100 weapons and more than 200 potential explosive devices, forcing the police to call in explosives experts and vacate houses in the general vicinity until about midnight Monday.

"They were everywhere," L'Esperance said.

He said authorities found explosives and weapons in the bedrooms, the basement and in many other places. Plonowski was a collector of World War II "memorabilia," said Sandy Kort, his cousin. Authorities were aware, as well, L'Esperance said, but neither authorities nor the family knew the extent of the collection.

The weapons found also included rifles, among them an AK-47, as well as a grenade launcher and handguns. L'Esperance said many of the items were military grade. A special Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called in from Newport, R.I., to assist in determining whether the rounds were inert (not able to explode).

Salisbury police; FBI agents; Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents; and state police gathered weaponry and explosives from the house and placed them on a red tarp in Plonowski's driveway.

They took pictures and measured the weaponry before placing it in green Salisbury Recycles bins.

Any explosives that could not be deemed inert were transported to the beach in flack bags covered in sand in a Salisbury Department of Public Works truck. A bomb squad detonated about 25 devices that "they felt weren't safe," L'Esperance said.

More weapons were found at Plonowski Funeral Home in Lawrence, where state and federal authorities used a bomb detection dog to search the basement.

Acting on reports that Plonowski had some remaining possessions in the basement of the funeral home, investigators obtained a warrant to search that location.

Lawrence police Chief John Romero said two safes were found in the basement. One of the safes was opened and contained antique firearms, Romero said. No explosives were found in the cellar, Romero said.

Plonowski pleaded not guilty yesterday in Newburyport District Court to charges of trafficking in cocaine, carrying a firearm without a license and firearm use in a felony. Further charges are pending after a full search of the residence, according to court documents. He is held without bail until a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

L'Esperance said there will be more charges and added that many other agencies are looking into the case to see if there were other violations.

"I've been on a lot of search warrants and this was a heck of a search warrant," he said. "This was pretty intense and pretty involved."

Police received a handful of tips from neighbors and other anonymous sources that Plonowski was selling drugs out of his house, according to a police report at Newburyport District Court. One man who contacted police said he thought Plonowski was selling cocaine, heroin, methadone, Klonopin and providing syringes to users.

"He further stated that there is a drug room in the cellar for people to use," the police report said.

Police started to put surveillance teams at the house to track activity. That started on the weekend of April 6 with Sgt. Anthony King and members of the Northeast Regional Drug Task Force, monitoring mostly from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. The police report said that within that time frame, the police observed 13 vehicles park "and then leave a short time later," ranging from two to 20 minutes.

King, who conducted most of the police work and organized the search warrant, is the officer who deserves the most praise, L'Esperance said.

"He did a heck of a job. He made this thing happen," he said. "He probably prevented something pretty serious."

After the surveillance, police used a confidential informant to buy $100 worth of cocaine off Plonowski on Monday. After the sale was successful, the drug task force and a SWAT team executed the search warrant at the house.

Once inside, police said they found the enormous cache of weapons, which prompted them to call in federal agents to assist in the search.

The initial police report said they found hand grenades, dynamite and "other assorted munitions and firearms."

It is not the first time Plonowski has been arrested.

The Lawrence native was arrested on Valentine's Day this year and charged with domestic assault and battery against his girlfriend, assault with a dangerous weapon and on a warrant for larceny in Peabody.

He was due back in court for a status hearing this Tuesday. He is still scheduled to appear for all charges, including those this week, at a dangerousness hearing.

Plonowski assaulted his girlfriend "by throwing a large glass and/or ceramic vase at said girlfriend," according to court documents.

When police arrested Plonowski on Valentine's Day, neighbor Stanley Jankowski told police that he was suspicious about him selling drugs.

"Stanley stated that he believes that David & (girlfriend) are selling drugs out of that house," the police report said.

A Peabody police report also said that during the arrest, police confiscated two shotguns and a loaded .22 caliber Derringer pistol. Both items were found in plain view.

Plonowski, at the time, had an active New Hampshire license to carry a firearm and an expired one in Massachusetts. L'Esperance said he does not currently have any permits to carry any firearms or explosives in the Bay State.

"There are no permits for explosives," the chief said.

Weaponry and explosives in house:

81 mm bomb shell

grenade launcher

land mines

hand grenades

handguns

rifles

AK-47

dynamite

total: more than 100 weapons; many explosive devices

detonated: 25 pieces

Found on David Plonowski:

18 grams of cocaine

.22 caliber handgun

$885 in cash