An American citizen has been arrested by Indian authorities after allegedly attempting to make unauthorized contact with one of the world’s most isolated tribes. The man, identified as 24-year-old Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, reportedly landed briefly on North Sentinel Island, a restricted area located in the Andaman Sea.
According to law enforcement officials, Polyakov approached the island by motorized inflatable boat on March 29. He remained offshore for about an hour, sounding a whistle in what appeared to be an attempt to alert the island’s indigenous inhabitants. After disembarking for roughly five minutes, he left behind a coconut and a can of diet soda, collected sand samples, and recorded video footage using a GoPro camera.
Authorities stated that there was no indication of direct interaction between Polyakov and the Sentinelese tribe. The island’s inhabitants are known to reject all outside contact, and the Indian government enforces a strict exclusion zone around the territory to protect both the tribe and outsiders from potential harm or disease transmission.
On his return journey, Polyakov was spotted by a local fisherman, prompting a police investigation. He was detained on March 31 and brought before a local court, which ordered a three-day custody period for further questioning. Police are also investigating whether anyone may have assisted the American in reaching the prohibited zone.
Reports indicate this was not Polyakov’s first attempt to access North Sentinel Island. Authorities believe he previously tried to approach the island twice—once in October 2024 using an inflatable kayak, and again in January 2025—though both efforts were unsuccessful.
The U.S. Department of State acknowledged awareness of the arrest but declined to comment on the case.
North Sentinel Island is home to the Sentinelese people, a group believed to have lived in isolation for thousands of years. Any travel to the island is prohibited under Indian law, with violators subject to arrest. In 2018, American missionary John Allen Chau was killed by islanders after illegally setting foot on the island in an attempt to preach Christianity.
Polyakov’s brief landing marks one of the rare modern intrusions into the territory, once again drawing international attention to the sensitive issue of protected indigenous populations and the legal boundaries meant to safeguard them.
