Chilean police have released archive documents relating to investigations during the second world war that uncovered how Nazi supporters in the country supplyed information to the Third Reich and planned to bomb mines in Chile.

Young members of families of German descent underwent paramilitary training in southern Chile, while Nazi supporters in the country routinely sent information to Germany about the routes of Allied merchant vessels, the documents showed.

The discovery comes the same week that a cache of Nazi artefacts was found hidden behind a bookcase in Buenos Aires, the Argentinian capital.

There was significant support within Chile and Argentina for the Axis powers during the second world war. After the cessation of hostilities, many leading Nazi officials fled Europe to hide out in South America.

Chilean police arrested around 40 people as a result of their investigation, the documents showed, and found code books, radios and weapons – as well as plans to bomb mines in northern Chile.

The 80 files of documents were officially handed over to the country’s national archives office on Thursday and will be available for public viewing.

“Until yesterday, this was a state secret,” center-left lawmaker Gabriel Silber said after a ceremony to hand over the files.

“Maybe, from today, we are going to recognize an uncomfortable truth that unfortunately some political and business figures in Chile supported the Nazis.”

