A former editor of the Irish News of the World has been arrested over the alleged computer hacking scandal at Rupert Murdochowned company.

The Guardian reports that police officers arrested former News of the World journalist Alex Marunchak and private investigator Jonathan Rees on Tuesday morning at their homes.

The arrests were made as part of Operation Kalmyk, an ongoing investigation into journalism related computer hacking by the News of the World. The inquiry is being carried out under a wider police probe into criminal breaches of privacy.

The News of the World ceased publication in Ireland and in Britain in July 2011, in the wake of the phone hacking scandal.

According to police, the two men were arrested under on suspicion of offences under Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and Sections 1 and 2 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Marunchak, 61, was arrested in Kent and will be interviewed at Kent police station. Rees, 58, was arrested in Surrey and was being interviewed by police in south London.

The two men were the subject of a 2011 Panorama investigation into hacking. The program alleged that Marunchak received emails that were hacked from the computer of former British intelligence officer, Ian Hurst. He denied the claims.

Panorama also claimed that Marunchak commissioned an investigation agent to obtain exclusive stories from confidential police sources. He also denied the claims.

To date 16 people have been arrested under Operation Tuleta.