YouTuber arrested for landing in a restricted area, trying to reach an isolated tribe – Country
An American YouTuber was arrested by Indian authorities after he was allegedly attempted to contact an isolated outpost tribe on the North Sentinel Islands.
Indian police said 24-year-old Mykhailo Viktorov, on March 29, traveled to the restricted Indian Ocean island on an illegal journey.
Police said Polyakov filmed his visit and left a can of dietary coke and coconut on the shore as a product provided to the tribe.
For thousands of years, the people of Northern Sentinel Island have been isolated from the rest of the world. Outsiders of the tribe are not allowed to travel within three miles of the island to protect the indigenous people from disease and help protect their own way of life.
According to CBS, “A U.S. citizen was sent to District Court after being arrested and is now undergoing further trials with a three-day deposit.”
Dhaliwal said Polyakov had been whistling for about an hour before he got ashore to attract the attention of the tribe.
“He landed briefly for about five minutes, put the product on the shore, collected sand samples, and recorded a video before returning to the ship,” Dhaliwal said. “Comments on his GoPro camera lens showed his entry and landing on the restricted North Sentinel Island.”
Archived photos of Max satellite images of North Sentinel Island, one of the Andaman Islands, the Indies in the Bay of Bengal.
Satellite Images (C) 2024 Maxar Technologies. /Getty Image
Police said YouTuber was arrested on March 31 after two days of visiting on North Sentinel Island.
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Authorities revealed that Polikov had visited the area twice, attempting to enter the island both times. He used an inflatable kayak in October 2024 but was stopped by hotel staff, according to police. He also tried to visit the island again in January 2025.
During the March trip, Polikov used another inflatable boat with an electric motor to reach the island through the high seas.
Polikov wasn't the first outsider to try to get in touch with the sentinel.
In November 2018, American missionary John Chau was believed to have killed him at the Arrow Tribes of the North Sentinel and he came to the island with gifts including football and fish.
He interacts with some tribal members – they survived by hunting, fishing and collecting wild plants and are known for attacking anyone close to bows, arrows and spears – until they get angry and shoot arrows at him.
The arrow hit a book, and an acquaintance said it was the Bible. The 26-year-old adventurer and Christian missionary then swam back to a fish-raising boat and waited at a safe distance.
That night, he wrote articles about his adventures and left notes on raising fish. He returned to North Sentinel Island the next day on November 16, 2018.
What happened was unknown, but the next morning, the fish harvesters watched from the boat as the tribe members dragged Joe’s body on the beach and buried his remains.
Dependera Pathak, director general of police in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said seven people were arrested at the time for helping the United States reach North Sentinel Island, including five fishermen, Chau's friends and local travel guides.
Although the government bans visits to the island, officials worked with anthropologists to try to recover their bodies. Chau was obviously killed by a gun, but since his body was never recovered, the cause of death was not confirmed.
Survival International, an organization that advocates the rights of indigenous peoples and tribal peoples, issued a statement saying that the alleged behavior endangered his life and the lives of his tribe after Polikov's arrest.
“The report said that American nationals were arrested after landing on North Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean to contact the people of contactless sentinel,” said Caroline Pearce, director of the organization.
“Beggar believe that someone might be that reckless and stupid. This person's behavior not only endangers his own life, but also puts the lives of the entire Outpost tribe at risk. So far, it is well known that the unparalleled people are known to be common external diseases like the flu or may completely eliminate them, which may completely eliminate them,” she continued.
Pierce added: “For the years, the Sentinels have wanted to avoid outsiders doing well clearly – I'm sure many people remember the 2018 incident in which American missionary John Allen Chau was killed by them after landing on their island trying to convert them into Christianity.”
Pierce said Polikov's arrest was “good news” but she was upset because he was reportedly “to be able to enter the island first.”
“The Indian authorities have a legal responsibility to ensure sentries are protected from preachers, social media influencers, people who fish illegally in the waters and anyone else who may try to contact them,” Pierce said.
Polyakov's YouTube channel uses the New Oriental staff and has a six-part series “Taliban-controlled Afghanistan” through the US Eye.
YouTuber spent three weeks in Afghanistan, holding a machine gun on videotapes and traveling through county trips.
– Documents with the Associated Press
& Copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
