Patna, July 18: Eight hardcore members of the CPI (Maoist), including a self-styled area commander Sanjay Thakur, were arrested from an area under Tariyani police station in Sheohar district today. The police seized a huge caché of explosives and firearms from their possession.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team, comprising the personnel of the Special Task Force and district armed police of East Champaran and Sheohar districts conducted a raid at Basatpur village under Tariyani police station and the arrested eight Naxalites, including a woman.

Four of the arrested rebels have been identified as Sanjay Thakur from Muzaffarpur, Kabita Kumari from Katihar, Umesh Thakur and Anjay Thakur residents of Sheohar. The identity of the four others is being ascertained.

Sanjay, a resident of Kasba Paigambarpur village under Minapur police station in neighbouring Muzaffarpur district, was involved in over a dozen Naxalite-related incidents, including the kidnapping of former block development officer of Tariyani Manoj Singh last year.

Sanjay was also involved in the attack on a police team under Rajepur police station in East Champaran district in which the station house officer of the police station was injured. His name had also figured in the murder of a mukhiya, Surendra Narain Singh.