Port Blair: A US national was arrested in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for allegedly entering the prohibited tribal reserve area of North Sentinel Island, police said on Wednesday.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, was arrested by the CID on March 31 for entering North Sentinel Island without authorization. He arrived in Port Blair on March 26 and ventured to North Sentinel Island from Kurma Dera Beach.
On March 29, around 1 am, Polyakov launched his boat from Kurma Dera Beach, carrying a coconut and a can of cola as "offerings for the Sentinelese," police said. By 10 am, he reached the northeastern shore of North Sentinel Island. Using binoculars, he surveyed the area but saw no inhabitants.
He remained offshore for an hour, blowing a whistle to attract attention, but received no response. Polyakov then landed briefly for about five minutes, left the offerings on the shore, collected sand samples, and recorded a video before returning to his boat.
At 1 pm, he began his return journey and reached Kurma Dera Beach by 7 pm, where local fishermen spotted him.
DGP HS Dhaliwal told PTI, "We are gathering more details about him and his intention to visit the reserved tribal area. We are also investigating where else he visited during his stay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We are questioning the hotel staff where he stayed in Port Blair." Among the items seized from him were an inflatable boat and an outboard motor (OBM), which he had assembled at a local workshop.
Police said Polyakov had meticulously planned his journey, researching sea conditions, tides, and accessibility from Kurma Dera Beach. He used GPS navigation throughout his voyage.
Polyakov, whose father is of Ukrainian origin, was found in possession of a GoPro camera. The footage showed him landing on North Sentinel Island.
He is currently in police custody under court orders for further interrogation. Police revealed that this was not his first visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In October last year, Polyakov visited Port Blair and attempted reconnaissance for North Sentinel Island using an inflatable kayak but was stopped by hotel staff. He returned to the islands in January this year, attempting to procure a motor for his boat. During that visit, he went to Baratang Islands and allegedly illegally videographed the Jarawa tribe.
An FIR was registered against him under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and sections of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Amendment Regulation, 2012, based on a complaint lodged at the Ograbraj police station by Tribal Welfare Officer Pronab Sircar.
Intimation about his arrest was communicated to the Home Department for further communication to the Ministry of External Affairs and the US Embassy.
The Sentinelese, who inhabit North Sentinel Island, are designated as a particularly vulnerable tribal group. They belong to the broader class of Andamanese people and are hostile to outsiders. They have killed people who approached or landed on the island.
In November 2018, American missionary John Chau was killed when he attempted to contact the Sentinelese, considered the world’s last pre-Neolithic tribe.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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