A 24-year-old US national, Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, was arrested in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on March 31 for attempting to enter the highly restricted North Sentinel Island without proper authorization. The island, home to the isolated Sentinelese tribe, is off-limits to outsiders to protect both the Indigenous community and visitors from potential harm. Authorities apprehended Polyakov while he was trying to access the area illegally, and legal action has been initiated against him.

About Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov

According to the police, 24-year-old US national Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov arrived in Port Blair on March 26. His father has Ukrainian roots, and this wasn’t his first visit, he had previously travelled to Port Blair in October last year. During his October visit, Polyakov tried to explore North Sentinel Island using an inflatable kayak but was stopped by hotel staff.

In January this year, he returned to the islands to purchase a motor for his boat. During this trip, he visited the Baratang Islands, where he illegally filmed the indigenous Jarawa tribe, violating local regulations, the police said.

How he entered the island 

Officials stated that Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov set off from Kurma Dera Beach around 1 a.m. on March 29, aiming to reach North Sentinel Island. Carrying a coconut and a can of cola as offerings, he intended to make contact with the isolated tribe.

Upon arriving at the island’s northeastern shore, he scanned the area with binoculars but found no trace of the tribe. He waited offshore for nearly an hour before departing.

Polyakov briefly set foot on the island for about five minutes, leaving offerings on the shore and collecting sand samples. Before returning to his boat, he also recorded a video of his visit.

Following the incident, the police filed an FIR against him under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Amendment Regulation, 2012.

 

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