The Forest Department today took into custody Murugayyan of Thenampadugai village in Thanjavur district, in Tamil Nadu secretary of the local AIADMK unit, in connection with large-scale illicit felling of trees in notified private forests and village forests abutting the Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (Project Tiger) at Manjuvilai, without permission. The forest personnel yesterday arrested two local contractors for the same offense.