To Befriend Sentinelese, US Man Enters Andaman's Restricted Island With Coke & Coconut; Arrested
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, was arrested on March 31 for allegedly entering North Sentinel Island without authorisation
A 24-year-old US national was arrested in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for allegedly entering the restricted North Sentinel Island without authorisation in an attempt to befriend the indigenous Sentinelese people.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov was arrested by the CID on March 31 for allegedly entering the restricted island without authorisation. He had arrived in Port Blair on March 26.
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According to the police, in his attempt to reach North Sentinel Island, Polyakov set out from Kurma Dera Beach at around 1 am on March 29. He brought a coconut and a can of cola as offerings, hoping to make contact with the isolated tribe.
By 10 am, he had reached the northeastern shore of the island and used binoculars to survey the area but saw no signs of the tribe. He then spent about an hour offshore, blowing a whistle to attract attention, though he received no response. After briefly landing on the island for around five minutes, he left the offerings on the shore, collected sand samples, and recorded a video before returning to his boat.
Meticulous plan to reach island
At 1 pm, Polyakov began his return journey and reached Kurma Dera Beach by 7 pm, where he was spotted by local fishermen. The police later seized his inflatable boat, outboard motor, and a GoPro camera, which contained footage of his landing on North Sentinel Island.
Police also revealed that Polyakov had planned his journey meticulously, researching sea conditions, tides, and accessibility from the beach. He had also used GPS navigation throughout his voyage.
This was not Polyakov’s first visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Police revealed that he had attempted to access North Sentinel Island twice before, first in October of the previous year, where he was stopped by hotel staff while attempting reconnaissance in an inflatable kayak. He returned in January, where he allegedly tried to procure a motor for his boat and illegally filmed the Jarawa tribe on Baratang Island.
FIR registered
An FIR has been registered against Polyakov under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Amendment Regulation, 2012. The case was filed based on a complaint by Pronab Sircar, the Tribal Welfare Officer of Tirur.
The police have informed the Home Department, which will communicate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the US Embassy regarding the arrest.
Who are the Sentinelese?
The Sentinelese are a particularly vulnerable tribal group living on North Sentinel Island. They are known for their hostility towards outsiders and have previously attacked those who have tried to approach or land on the island.
The tribe remains one of the last groups in the world to have had minimal contact with modern civilisation.
In 2018, American missionary John Chau was killed after attempting to contact the Sentinelese, considered the world’s last pre-Neolithic tribe.
(With inputs from PTI)
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