Police in Rio de Janeiro said on Wednesday that they had uncovered a trove of Nazi uniforms and memorabilia, along with weapons, thought to be worth around €3 million ($3.4 million).

More than a thousand items were found in total, according to media reports, including Nazi police uniforms, newspapers, paintings, insignia, flags, medals relating to the Third Reich and images of Adolf Hitler.

Officers had been investigating a case of child rape and found the items at the 58-year-old suspect's home.

Arrest on suspicion of pedophilia leads to Nazi haul

Rio's civil police had initially gone to the suspect's residence to serve an arrest warrant over allegations he had raped a minor and had been abusing children who lived in his apartment complex.

It was then that police said they discovered the hoarded items.

Luis Armond, who is the lead detective, told the news agency Reuters: "He is a smart guy and articulate, but he's a Holocaust denier, he's homophobic, he's a pedophile and he says he hunts homosexuals."

"I'm no doctor," Armond continued. "But he seems to me an insane psychopath."

Its understood that investigations will now be expanded, with a focus on possible links to far-right groups.

Reuters contributed to this article.