Police and News International said Tuesday that a 37-old-year reporter for The Sun tabloid has been arrested in an inquiry into the alleged gathering of data from stolen cell phones.

Scotland Yard said the man is the ninth person arrested as part of Operation Tuleta, which is looking into allegations of computer hacking. It is one of three parallel police investigations triggered by the phone-hacking scandal that has rocked Britain.

Inquiries have focused mainly on newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch's News International - including The Sun, Britain's top-selling daily newspaper - but have also spread to other media groups.

Scotland Yard said Tuesday it had arrested the journalist on suspicion of handling stolen goods. The journalist was later released on bail.

News International confirmed the man, whom it did not name, was an employee at The Sun.