THREE serving officers and a at least one member of civilian support staff are under investigation for operating online troll accounts that targeted female politicians and members of minority groups.
Computer equipment is thought to have been seized from an individual as part of the wider investigation.
One officer is also believed to be under investigation for repeated breaches of protocol in relation to his own personal security, posting details of bars and restaurants he was visiting, despite PSNI staff being warned not to reveal details that might place them at risk of attack from dissident republicans.
Details of the investigation were first revealed in the Irish News on Saturday.
The officer, whom the Irish News understands is currently suspended, included a picture of himself on holiday wearing a t-shirt saying 'Dry Yur Eyes' in reference to a comment made last year by the Chief Constable George Hamilton.
Mr Hamilton made the comment on Twitter and later apologised saying: "I've clearly caused some offence in what I've said, and for that I apologise".
A second officer, who is stationed in west Belfast, is claimed to have been leaking information on ongoing criminal investigations and sending intimate pictures of himself to women he was contacting on Twitter.
Some of the pictures appeared to have been taken inside police stations while he was on duty, along with a picture of himself taken in a hotel room wearing pink high heels using the Twitter handle @JohnnieAnonie.
A third officer who had been using the twitter handle @DonYeeoo was involved in aggressive online abuse of Alliance party MLA Naomi Long.
The party confirmed this week that it had made an official complaint about the account that posted a stream of offensive material.
This included attacks on the LGBT community and calling people from west Belfast "lawless savages".
The account also breached the privacy of a 10-year-child in care, saying the children's home he was a resident of was a "frequent producer of scum".
The account posted pictures of a crime scene taken from behind a police cordon.
One of the public figures he commented on was human rights solicitor Kevin Winters.
Mr Winters said yesterday he will be contacting the ombudsman to lodge a complaint.
"If these allegations are true then clearly there are serious issues of breach of privacy and data protection in play, systemic leaking of confidential information about police operational matters presents as a threat to due process and the administration of justice.
"PONI need to look at this immediately in order to assess the full extent of the problem, I am surprised to learn just this afternoon that one particular high profile case I am involved in has been referenced in one of these accounts. I am contacting PONI tomorrow to complain both in a personal capacity and on behalf of a number of clients."
While the Police Ombudsman previously said the DonYeeoo account had 'no obvious links to police' in relation to a complaint made earlier this year, they have since confirmed it is investigating a separate and still live complaint.
Police yesterday made a renewed appeal for information from anyone targeted by the Twitter accounts.
"We would appeal to anyone who has evidence of the these matters to report them to us or to the Office of The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.
"The PSNI will not accept any racist, sectarian, sexist or homophobic behaviour from any of our staff. All allegations will be investigated and firm action taken if the allegations are substantiated," a spokesperson said.
