Ex-police officer arrested in media bribery probe May 3, 2012 -- Updated 1228 GMT (2028 HKT) The retired officer had served in the Metropolitan Police Service's Specialist Operations command. The former officer worked for the Metropolitan Police's Special Operations command Its responsibilities include counterterrorism, protecting the royal family and airport security The retired police officer is being questioned about alleged misconduct Linked police inquiries are investigating claims of police bribery and phone hacking London (CNN) -- A former police officer was arrested Thursday by officers investigating alleged corrupt payments to police and public officials by the media, in an inquiry linked to a phone-hacking scandal, the Metropolitan Police said. The 57-year-old man, who retired several years ago, had served in the Metropolitan Police Service's Specialist Operations command, based in central London, police said. The Special Operations unit deals with counterterrorism, security -- including for airports and Parliament buildings -- and protection for the royal family, ministers and public officials. The Metropolitan Police declined to say in which area the suspect had worked. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office at his home address in Surrey, near London, police said. The man is being questioned and officers are searching his home, police said. His arrest was made as part of Operation Elveden, an investigation into allegations of inappropriate payments to police and public officials, which is running alongside the police probe of alleged hacking of voice mail messages. The arrest is the result of information provided to police by News Corp.'s Management Standards Committee, an internal panel set up to probe claims of misconduct by News Corp. employees. "It relates to suspected payments to a former police officer and is not about seeking journalists to reveal confidential sources in relation to information that has been obtained legitimately," the police statement said. Dozens of arrests have been made in connection with the police inquiries into the alleged hacking of voice mail and e-mail and bribery of officials. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is under scrutiny in Britain and the United States over the conduct of its journalists. CNN's Laura Perez Maestro and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.