A Beat Forest Officer attached to the Hulannuge Beat Forest Office was taken into custody yesterday (12) for allegedly accepting a bribe to overlook an illegal cultivation.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) carried out the arrest following a complaint lodged by a resident of Hulannuge.

According to the commission, the suspect demanded Rs. 30,000 and a bottle of liquor from the complainant.

This demand was made in exchange for not taking legal action against the individual for cultivating a portion of land within the Nelum Wewa Yaya forest reserve, which borders a four-acre plot owned by the complainant and his wife.

The officer was apprehended inside the Hulannuge Beat Forest Office while accepting the bribe.

Authorities plan to produce the suspect before the court as investigations proceed.