US Citizen Arrested for Unauthorized Entry into North Sentinel Island

A 24-year-old US national, Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, was arrested by authorities in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands for illegally entering the restricted North Sentinel Island. Police detained him on March 31 after he allegedly launched a solo expedition to the prohibited area.

Polyakov’s Visit to North Sentinel Island

Polyakov arrived in Port Blair on March 26 and initiated his journey from Kurma Dera beach in the early hours of March 29. Using an inflatable boat equipped with a GPS, he navigated to the northeastern shore of North Sentinel Island, where he spent an hour attempting to make contact with the Sentinelese tribe by blowing a whistle.

He observed no inhabitants, briefly landed on the shore to leave offerings of a coconut and a can of cola, collected sand samples, and recorded a video before returning to his boat. He reached Kurma Dera Beach by 7 PM and was later spotted by local fishermen, who reported him to the authorities.

Upon his arrest, officials seized his inflatable boat, an outboard motor, and a GoPro camera containing footage of his landing. Investigations revealed that Polyakov had meticulously planned the trip, researching tides and sea conditions beforehand.

North Sentinel Island and the Sentinelese Tribe

North Sentinel Island is one of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. Its inhabitants, known as the Sentinelese, are among the few communities who have consistently rejected contact with the outside world.

The Indian government enforces strict protection laws to preserve their isolation and prevent outside interference, which could expose them to diseases for which they have no immunity.

The Sentinelese have a long history of hostile encounters with outsiders. In 2006, two Indian fishermen lost their lives in an attack by the tribe when they drifted too close to the island. In 2018, American missionary Allen John Chau was shot with arrows and buried on the island when he attempted to contact the tribe.

The government maintains a three-mile exclusion zone around the island, and the Indian Navy patrols the waters to prevent unauthorized entry.

The Sentinelese are believed to be direct descendants of early human populations that migrated from Africa tens of thousands of years ago. Due to their complete isolation, little is known about their language, social structure, or cultural practices.

Prior Visits and Legal Proceedings

This was not Polyakov’s first attempt to reach the restricted tribal territory. He previously visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in October 2023 and January 2024, attempting to access North Sentinel Island.

During his January visit, he allegedly filmed the Jarawa tribe, another protected Indigenous group, violating local regulations.

Following his arrest, authorities charged him under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Amendment Regulation, 2012. The police have also informed the Home Ministry and the US Embassy regarding the incident.

The Sentinelese is one of the world’s most isolated and vulnerable Indigenous groups and the Indian government strictly prohibits entry to North Sentinel Island to protect both the tribe and outsiders.

[Source]