PORT BLAIR, INDIA – An American man has been arrested for illegally entering North Sentinel Island, home to one of the world’s most isolated and uncontacted tribes, and attempting to gift a soft drink and coconut to the tribe. The suspect, Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, was apprehended after crossing a 40-kilometer stretch of ocean in an inflatable motorized boat, using GPS navigation to reach the forbidden island.
Polyakov’s actions on March 29 violated strict Indian laws designed to protect the pre-Neolithic Sentinelese tribe, who have had minimal contact with the outside world. Authorities argue that the intrusion posed serious risks to both the isolated tribe and the foreign traveler.
Since 1996, North Sentinel Island has been off-limits to outsiders, with Indian Navy patrols enforcing a five-nautical-mile exclusion zone. Despite these protections, Polyakov reportedly arrived in Port Blair on March 26 and began planning his unauthorized expedition. On the morning of March 29, he sailed from Kurma Dera beach, reached the island’s northeastern shore, and attempted to attract the tribe’s attention by blowing a whistle.
Indian police have seized footage of the incident and are investigating the extent of Polyakov’s activities on the island.
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