Authorities in India have arrested an American tourist who traveled to a remote island and left behind a can of Coke and a coconut for its uncontacted tribe, regarded as the world’s most isolated. It has been a protected area closed to outsiders since 1996.
Police identified the man as Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, who has a Ukrainian father and U.S. citizenship. Officials stated that he arrived in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on March 26. Three days later, he embarked on an unauthorized journey to North Sentinel from Kurma Dera beach using an inflatable boat with a motor installed at a local workshop.
Guided by GPS, Polyakov crossed approximately 25 miles of open sea and reached the island’s northeastern shore around 10 a.m. on March 29. From his boat, he used binoculars to scan for the Sentinelese, a tribe known for rejecting all contact with outsiders.
After receiving no response to a whistle he blew for nearly an hour, the American tourist briefly stepped onto the island. There, he left a can of Coke and a coconut for the tribe, collected sand samples, and filmed a video before returning to the mainland. As a result, he was arrested.
Local fishermen reported his return to the police around 7 p.m. that evening. Authorities arrested the American tourist shortly after and seized his boat along with a GoPro camera containing footage of the illegal visit.
Police said Polyakov had carefully planned the trip by studying tides, sea conditions, and potential access points to the island. They are now investigating his previous movements and questioning Port Blair hotel staff.
A “US” tourist was just arrested for going to North Sentintel Island
….To give them a can of coke & a coconut
So a thread
of the history of contact on this remote “uncontacted” island starting in 1771
And why the last guy who went called it “Satan’s Last Stronghold” pic.twitter.com/RNgXory66X
— Illegitimate Scholar
(@ill_Scholar) April 3, 2025
Investigators also linked him to a separate incident in January, when he allegedly traveled to Baratang Island and illegally filmed members of the Jarawa tribe, another protected Indigenous group in the Andaman Islands.
“We are getting more details about him and his intention to visit the reserved tribal area,” a police spokesperson said.
A case has been filed against him under laws that protect Indigenous communities. Indian authorities have notified the Ministry of External Affairs and the U.S. Embassy.
Caroline Pearce, director of the Indigenous rights group Survival International, condemned the incident, calling it “deeply disturbing.”
“It beggars belief that someone could be that reckless and idiotic,” Pearce said. “It’s very well known by now that uncontacted peoples have no immunity to common outside diseases like flu or measles, which could completely wipe them out.”
North Sentinel Island remains one of the last places on Earth untouched by modern civilization. The Indian government strictly bans all travel to the island to preserve the safety and health of the Sentinelese, who have consistently rejected interaction with the outside world.
The tribe killed American missionary John Chau in 2018 after he attempted a similar unauthorized visit.
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