Los Angeles police have arrested a man in connection with the theft of material used for the anticipated new instalment of the Indiana Jones franchise.

The man, whom police did not identify, was arrested Tuesday afternoon following a sting operation in West Hollywood, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

The fourth instalment of the popular Indiana Jones adventure film franchise, starring actor Harrison Ford, comes nearly 20 years after the last one.
(LucasFilms/Associated Press)

On Sept. 24, staff working on the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull reported the theft of confidential documents, photos and computers related to the long-awaited film from producer Steven Spielberg's office on the Universal lot.

Detectives investigating the case learned that some of the stolen images were being offered for sale to entertainment and gossip websites, Whitmore said.

Officers posed as buyers and set up a meeting in West Hollywood, where the individual was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property and violating parole.

"We believe there's more people involved and don't want to release the name until this plays out," Whitmore told reporters.

Earlier this week, in a separate incident, another film's producers, Lucasfilm, reached a settlement with one of the film's actors, who had been accused of breaking a confidentiality agreement by revealing details about Crystal Skull to his hometown newspaper.

With files from the Associated Press