American’s Illegal Visit to Remote Sentinelese Tribe Ends in Arrest

Police arrested a US tourist who tried to reach the Sentinelese, the world’s most isolated Indigenous people living on an island about the size of Manhattan. Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov ignored strict laws that ban anyone from coming within 5 kilometers of North Sentinel Island. He traveled more than 35 kilometers across open sea to reach this protected territory. The island’s estimated 200 tribal members have always fiercely protected their isolation by using bows and arrows against outsiders. The Sentinelese people’s complete isolation from modern society means they lack basic immunity to common illnesses like flu and measles. Any contact could devastate their entire community. This latest breach of the tribe’s protected status reminds many of the tragic death of American missionary John Allen Chau in 2018.

US Tourist Breaches Protected Island Despite Multiple Warnings

_{Image Source: National Geographic}

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, a 24-year-old Ukrainian-American, spent months planning his illegal trip to North Sentinel Island. This was his third try to reach the protected area, after two failed attempts in October 2024 and January 2025.

Police reports show Polyakov launched his single-seat inflatable motorboat from Khurmadera Beach in South Andaman just after midnight on March 29, 2025. He used GPS technology to direct himself across 35 kilometers of open sea. His research on tides and sea conditions helped him program the route precisely.

The tourist brought unusual offerings for the tribespeople:

• A can of Diet Coke/soda
• A coconut

HS Dhaliwal, Director General of Police on the islands, confirmed Polyakov reached the northeastern shore at 10 a.m.. He first scanned the shoreline with binoculars but saw no tribal members. He then tried to get attention by blowing a whistle from his boat for almost an hour.

Polyakov stepped onto the protected shore for just five minutes. He left his offerings on the beach, took sand samples, and captured video on his GoPro camera before heading back to his boat. The Sentinelese people completely ignored him during the whole ordeal.

Police arrested Polyakov when he returned to Port Blair on March 31. During questioning, he told authorities that “his passion for adventure and his desire to undertake extreme challenges” drew him to the island. Officials took his GoPro camera, phone, and a bottle with sand samples he collected from the forbidden shore.

The authorities filed charges against Polyakov under multiple regulations. These include the Foreigners Act of 1946 and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Regulation of 1956, which ban unauthorized entry to protected tribal areas. A conviction could lead to five years in prison and fines.

Indian Authorities Enforce Strict Protection Laws

The 67-year old Andaman and Nicobar Islands Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation (ANPATR) is the life-blood of legal protection for the Sentinelese tribe. This regulation stops anyone from traveling to North Sentinel Island or coming within five nautical miles (9.26 kilometers) of its shores. The law identifies the Sentinelese as one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and gives them special status and protections.

The legal framework serves several vital purposes:

• Preventing exposure to diseases against which the islanders have no immunity
• Preserving their cultural heritage and traditional way of life
• Protecting them from exploitation and unwanted surveillance
• Preventing encroachment on their territory

Indian authorities have strengthened these protections over the last several years. The government ran anthropological contact missions occasionally until the mid-1990s but officially stopped all contact programs in 1996. They banned all visits to the island completely by 1997. The authorities tightened restrictions even further in 2010 to ensure the tribe stays undisturbed.

Experts call the Indian government’s approach an “eyes on, hands off” policy. The authorities monitor the island remotely by boat or air but stay away from the Sentinelese. Indian officials respect the islanders’ sovereignty so much that they won’t prosecute tribe members if they kill an outsider who trespasses.

“We are the aggressors here. We are the ones trying to enter their territory,” explained one Indian official regarding interactions with the Sentinelese.

The death of missionary John Allen Chau in 2018 led authorities to increase patrols around the island and enforce rules more strictly. Anyone breaking these rules now faces up to three years in prison and heavy fines. Indian coast guard patrols watch the buffer zone regularly to stop unauthorized approaches.

Polyakov’s arrest shows India’s steadfast dedication to protecting one of the last uncontacted communities on Earth.

Previous Encounters Have Ended in Tragedy

The Sentinelese have responded with violence to contact attempts throughout history, which led authorities to implement strict isolation policies. A deadly encounter took place in November 2018 when American missionary John Allen Chau, 26, broke the law by visiting the island. His goal was to convert the Sentinelese to Christianity.

Chau viewed North Sentinel as “Satan’s last stronghold” and made several unauthorized visits to the island. His first attempt involved canoeing toward the shore and trying to communicate with the islanders before he had to retreat due to their hostile response. The islanders showed their resistance when a boy shot a metal-headed arrow that struck the Bible Chau carried. He remained determined and returned a third time on November 17, 2018. Fishermen later reported seeing tribespeople drag his body along the beach and bury it.

Similar fatal encounters happened before. Two Indian fishermen, Sunder Raj, 48, and Pandit Tiwari, 52, lost their lives in January 2006. Their boat accidentally drifted onto North Sentinel Island while they slept. According to witnesses, tribal warriors wielding axes attacked the pair who were reportedly under the influence of palm wine. The Sentinelese later prevented a helicopter from retrieving the bodies by shooting arrows at it.

The tribe’s aggressive responses date back to colonial times. They found an escaped convict who washed ashore in 1896 with multiple arrow wounds and a slit throat.

These violent reactions stem from generational trauma. The tribe’s first documented interaction with outsiders happened in the late 1800s when British officer M.V. Portman captured several Sentinelese people “in the interest of science”. The elderly captives did not survive, which created lasting fear and hostility toward foreigners.

Gift-giving missions occurred during the 1970s and 1980s but stopped in 1996. Officials realized that continued contact would devastate the Sentinelese population, similar to neighboring tribes that lost 85-99% of their people after outside contact.

Polyakov’s arrest exposes yet another breach of the Sentinelese tribe’s protected status. This incident shows the ongoing challenges of protecting one of Earth’s last isolated communities. Even with strict laws and increased patrols since the 2018 Chau incident, people still try to make unauthorized contact with the tribe, creating potential risks.

The tribe’s history clearly shows why keeping distance is vital to their survival. Their aggressive responses to outsiders come from years of trauma that started with colonial-era kidnappings and continue through recent deadly encounters. The tribe’s complete isolation means that any contact could wipe out their population through exposure to common diseases.

The Indian government’s “eyes on, hands off” policy is a vital model to protect vulnerable indigenous groups. The authorities have strengthened their enforcement measures. They understand that protecting the Sentinelese way of life needs both legal protection and real deterrents against intruders.

This recent event reminds us that the world’s most isolated tribe still faces threats from misguided adventurers and curiosity seekers. Strong protective barriers must stay in place to ensure their survival in our increasingly connected world.