Franklin County officials are once again investigating whether two businesses have been selling illegal fireworks.

Officials on Monday night searched Hilltop Mulch on Wirtz Road and last week searched Boones Mill Pottery on U.S. 220, said Daryl Hatcher, the county's director of public safety.

They seized about $35,000 in illegal M-80s, bottle rockets, commercial grade mortars and more from the two businesses, Hatcher said.

"We're finding some pretty serious stuff here," he said.

No one has been charged, and the investigation is continuing.

Last year, officials found more than $25,000 in illegal fireworks at the same businesses.

Two people were charged with selling illegal fireworks, but those misdemeanor charges were later dropped. It was unclear Tuesday why, and Franklin County Commonwealth's Attorney Cliff Hapgood could not be reached.

Officials on Monday also searched a Redwood home where one of the pottery store's co-owners lives, Hatcher said.

They found a small amount of illegal fireworks, as well as three homemade explosives that appear to be pipe bombs, Hatcher said.

Virginia State Police were called to the home to destroy the suspected bombs, Hatcher said.

Officials believe that the fireworks were being shipped to the stores directly from the factories, and that the stores had been selling the pyrotechnics for at least two weeks.

Hilltop Mulch was selling them out of a portable storage unit, Hatcher said.

A woman who answered the phone at the business on Tuesday said no one was available to be interviewed.

The pottery shop, where most of the fireworks were seized, had them on display inside the store.

A manager there did not want to be interviewed.

This is at least the third time in recent years that officials in Franklin County have raided businesses for illegal fireworks.

In 2005, Franklin County officials took $30,000 in illegal fireworks from three businesses.

Hatcher said he believes people continue to sell illegal explosives because they can mark up prices and make a large profit -- unless they are caught.

"I guess some people think it is worth the risk," he said. "As long as there is a profit to be made, I imagine it will still happen."