BAGHDAD , Iraq ( CNN ) -- Iraq 's deputy minister of transport has been arrested after investigators taped him taking a $ 100,000 bribe , the Iraqi Integrity Commission said Monday . It 's the latest sting aimed at what many Iraqis say is rampant corruption in the country . The anti-corruption body said Monday this was the first time such a high-level Iraqi official was caught in the act of taking a bribe . The announcement , made on the commission 's Web site , said investigators detained Deputy Minister Adnan al-Obaidi last Wednesday . A spokesman for the Ministry of Transport , Aqeel Kawthar , told CNN on Monday that the deputy minister took office August 10 , and his arrest came as a surprise to the ministry . He said there were no indications that al-Obaidi might be corrupt before this incident , but he said the Ministry of Transport `` supports and congratulates '' the Integrity Commission 's work . A foreign security firm had approached the Integrity Commission alleging that al-Obaidi had asked for a bribe of $ 500,000 to renew the firm 's contract , the commission said . `` The deputy minister was supposed to receive the full amount first , but the scenario was changed into him receiving $ 100,000 [ in U.S. dollars ] as a down payment , and the rest of the money would be delivered after the renewal of the contract , '' according to the commission 's account . `` Orders were issued to security forces to deploy undercover in Karrada district '' in central Baghdad . Watch more about Iraq 's war against corruption » . The statement said the security forces did not know who the target was and their orders were in coordination with the Integrity Commission 's operations room . The commission said that five minutes before the arrest , the head of the commission , Judge Rahim al-Agili , informed Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that a high-ranking government official had taken a bribe . The commission said al-Maliki responded by saying : `` I do not want to know his name , carry out the operation even if the wanted individual is Nuri al-Maliki . ... Whether he is from the Dawa party , a Sadrist , or a member of ISCI [ all Shiite political parties , including that of the prime minister ] , he is only known to me as a bribe taker ... `` The Integrity Commission said the sting was caught on videotape , which it said would be posted soon on its Web site . `` The arrest of of the deputy minister of transport was a professional operation with no political dimensions to it , and we have not heard any political or parliamentary bloc objecting to it ... `` the commission 's account said . `` The operation was carried out within 56 hours of continuous , nonstop , work . The head of the secret informant department and the men of the special operations branch [ of the Integrity Commission ] played a major role ... and the commission dedicated all its advanced capabilities to document and follow this . '' According to the monitoring group Transparency International , Iraq is one of the top three most corrupt countries in the world , along with Somalia and Myanmar . A recent report from the group said almost half the people it surveyed in Iraq had paid a bribe in the previous year . When CNN talked to people coming and going from Iraq 's Interior Ministry , complaints were frequent . `` The employee inside said he will only finish my ID for an extra $ 40 , '' one man said . Another said , `` You ca n't even talk to the janitor in a government office unless you 're paying a bribe . '' Judge al-Agili told CNN his office is kept busiest by the Interior Ministry , but it is investigating 8,000 allegations of corruption against people through all departments and all levels of government . Al-Agili said he believes corruption is part of Iraq 's culture , stretching back long before Saddam Hussein 's regime . But he said he believes it can be beaten slowly , and that 's why he set up the undercover special operations unit to carry out sting operations . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh and Phil Black contributed to this report .
Interior Ministry says videotape shows Transport official taking $ 500,000 bribe . Phil Black is latest aimed at what many Iraqi say is rampant corruption in the country . Transport spokesman calls arrest a surprise , congratulates integrity panel 's work . Integrity panel chief says Iraqis prime minister strongly backed operation .