Latest news with #MykhailoViktorovychPolyakov
New Straits Times
29-04-2025
- New Straits Times
American tourist freed on bail after landing on forbidden tribal island
NER DELHI: An American tourist who illegally entered North Sentinel Island to contact one of the world's last uncontacted tribes has been granted bail, but must remain in India while awaiting trial. Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, was arrested on March 31 after allegedly offering a can of Diet Coke to the Sentinelese people in what he described as a "peace offering". He was detained on Andaman Island, a territory of India, after returning from the trip. The Sentinelese, thought to number around 200, are known for their complete isolation and hostility to outsiders. The Indian government enforces strict bans on any contact with them, citing health risks, as they have no immunity to common diseases. A court in Port Blair released Polyakov on bail, requiring two sureties, including one local, and mandating he remain in the city. He must report to the police twice a week and has surrendered his passport and visa. Police alleged that the YouTuber meticulously planned the journey, studying tides and sailing conditions before crossing 40.2km of sea in an inflatable boat from Kurma Dera Beach. According to police, he set out around 1am, arriving at the island's northeastern shore by 10am. He reportedly left offerings, collected sand and filmed a short video before returning to his boat. Fishermen spotted him back on shore that evening. Footage recovered from Polyakov's GoPro reportedly shows him landing on the island and narrating his actions. "That is it. The last uncontacted tribe. The last mystery. If they see me, will they attack? Or will they accept me?" he said, according to 'The Daily Mail'. He told police he is a "thrill-seeker" who documents his adventures for his YouTube channel, Neo-Orientalist, which previously featured footage from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Authorities are investigating whether any locals helped him in reaching the restricted area. This incident comes nearly seven years after American missionary John Allen Chau was killed by the tribe during an attempt to convert them to Christianity. Caroline Pearce of Survival International condemned Polyakov's actions as "reckless and idiotic", warning they put the entire tribe at risk. "Uncontacted peoples have no immunity to common diseases like flu or measles, which could wipe them out," she said. Despite previous attempts being blocked, including one in October, Polyakov succeeded in making a brief landing. Officials say his cartoon teaser post months earlier hinted at his intentions, with an image of a Tintin-like character sailing toward an island captioned: "A little Columbus Day teaser for the fans."
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Daily Mail
American tourist who trespassed on killer uncontacted tribe's island freed on bail... but there's a big catch
The American tourist who was jailed for trespassing on an uncontacted tribe's island has been freed on bail but will remain under close watch from Indian authorities. Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, was released under strict conditions in court Friday, a month after he was arrested on March 31 for contacting the Sentinelese people on Sentinel Island. The Sentinelese are among the last isolated tribes in the world, with roughly 200 people inhabiting the islands around 700 miles off the coast of India. Polyakov was arrested on the Andaman Island, a territory of India, after he returned from offering the Sentinelese people a can of coke as a 'peace offering.' In court on Friday, Polyakov was ordered to remain in Andaman Island's capital Port Blair until his case is decided, with the 24-year-old facing up to five years in prison for his stunt. His bail was also granted on the condition of providing two sureties, which must include a resident of Port Blair, and must meet with the officer overseeing his case twice a week. Polyakov had his passport and visa seized following his arrest, and officials said in a statement he will 'remain in Port Blair until further hearings.' It comes as authorities say they believe the Sentinelese may still have the can of coke, with sources previously telling The Sun they have no way of recovering it from the forbidden island. When Polyakov was collared by police last month, cops said they found Go-Pro footage of him illegally landing at Sentinel Island. He was believed to have been filming for his YouTube channel, with also featured footage of a visit to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan earlier this year. The Sentinelese are known for their hostility toward any intruders, with Indian authorities strictly preserving their way of life by barring any attempts to contact them. Authorities say contacting the tribe also risks wiping them out as they have no immunity to common diseases from the outside world. Indian investigators have prosecuted any locals who have aided attempts to enter the island and are trying to identify anyone who may have helped Polyakov. Police say Polyakov's journey to the prohibited territory was meticulously planned, alleging that the tourist had studied sea conditions, tides and access points before he set sail. While Polyakov made it off the island alive, his trip came almost seven years after American missionary John Allen Chau, 27, was killed by the Sentinelese when he attempted to 'convert' them to Christianity. When cops found Polyakov's footage of his arrival on the island, he reportedly dictated his first steps on the forbidden area, but did not come face-to-face with the tribesmen. 'That is it. The last uncontacted tribe. The last mystery. If they see me, will they attack? Or will they accept me?' he said in the recording, according to The Telegraph. Under interrogation, Polyakov reportedly told officers that he was a 'thrill seeker' who films his stunts for YouTube. Polyakov - who last year spent time with gun toting Taliban in Afghanistan - regularly posts his exploits on YouTube under the username Neo-Orientalist, a direct reference to the concept of how Western countries often portray the Islamic world in a stereotypical and negative way. Police say he first arrived at Port Blair on March 26 before venturing to Sentinel Island on March 28, using a grey Gemini inflatable boat to sail across a 25-mile straight from Kurma Dera Beach to the forbidden island. He set sail for restricted territory around 1am, 'carrying a coconut and a Diet Coke as offerings for the Sentinelese.' He reached the northeastern shore of North Sentinel Island around 10am, according to a report from Andaman and Nicobar police. Polyakov surveyed the area with binoculars and kept blowing a whistle off the shore for about an hour to attract the tribe's attention before he went ashore. 'He landed briefly for about five minutes, left the offerings on the shore, collected sand samples, and recorded a video before returning to his boat,' the report said. 'A review of his GoPro camera footage showed his entry and landing into the restricted North Sentinel Island.' 'At 1pm he started his return journey and reached Kurma Dera Beach by 7pm, where he was spotted by local fisherman.' Police say Polyakov had visited the region twice in October last year with plans to sail to North Sentinel Island using an 'inflatable kayak', but was stopped by staff at a hotel he was staying at. He visited again in January this year, where he visited the Baratang Islands and 'illegally videographed the Jarawa tribe'. Polyakov seemingly teased his visit to North Sentinel Island five months ago when he posted a cartoon image of a Tintin style adventurer, accompanied with a small brown dog, sailing a small boat towards a desert island. He captioned it: 'A little Columbus Day teaser for the fans.' Caroline Pearce, the director of indigenous rights group Survival International, branded Polyakov's attempt to visit the island as 'reckless and idiotic'. 'This person's actions not only endangered his own life, they put the lives of the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk,' she said in a statement provided to MailOnline. '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.' 'It's good news that the man in this latest incident has been arrested, but deeply disturbing that he was reportedly able to get onto the island in the first place.'
NBC News
18-04-2025
- NBC News
U.S. YouTuber remains in custody in India after visiting restricted island with a Diet Coke can
NEW DELHI — A 24-year-old American YouTuber who was arrested after visiting an off-limits island in the Indian Ocean with hopes of establishing contact with a reclusive tribe was further detained in custody on Thursday. Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov will next appear before a local court in Port Blair -- the capital of India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands -- on April 29, police said. Polyakov, from Scottsdale, Arizona, was arrested on March 31, two days after he set foot on the restricted territory of North Sentinel Island in a bid to meet people from the reclusive Sentinelese tribe. He left a can of Diet Coke and a coconut as offering for the tribe this time after he failed to contact the Sentinelese. He shot a video of the island on his camera and collected some sand samples before returning to his boat. 'It may be claimed to be an adventure trip, but the fact is that there has been a violation of Indian laws. Outsiders meeting Sentinelese could endanger the tribe's survival,' said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity as he isn't authorized to speak about the case under investigation. Polyakov is suspected of violating Indian laws that carry a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine. Visitors are banned from traveling within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of North Sentinel Island, whose population has been isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years. The inhabitants use spears and bows and arrows to hunt the animals that roam the small, heavily forested island. Deeply suspicious of outsiders, they attack anyone who lands onto their beaches. In 2018, an American missionary who landed illegally on the beach was killed by North Sentinelese Islanders who apparently shot him with arrows and then buried his body on the beach. In 2006, the Sentinelese killed two fishermen who had accidentally landed on the shore. An official from the U.S. consulate visited Polyakov in jail earlier this week. 'We take our commitment to assist U.S. citizens abroad seriously and are monitoring the situation,' the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi said in a statement, while declining to divulge further details due to privacy considerations. Police said Polyakov had conducted detailed research on sea conditions, tides and accessibility to the island before starting his journey. He stayed on the beach for about an hour, blowing a whistle to attract attention but got no response from the islanders. On his return he was spotted by local fishermen, who informed the authorities and Polyakov was arrested in Port Blair, an archipelago nearly 750 miles east of India's mainland.
Al Arabiya
18-04-2025
- Al Arabiya
American YouTuber who went to restricted island in Indian Ocean still in custody
A 24-year-old American YouTuber who was arrested after visiting an off-limits island in the Indian Ocean with hopes of establishing contact with a reclusive tribe was further detained in custody on Thursday. Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov will next appear before a local court in Port Blair -- the capital of India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands -- on April 29, police said. Polyakov, from Scottsdale, Arizona, was arrested on March 31, two days after he set foot on the restricted territory of North Sentinel Island in a bid to meet people from the reclusive Sentinelese tribe. 'It may be claimed to be an adventure trip, but the fact is that there has been a violation of Indian laws. Outsiders meeting Sentinelese could endanger the tribe's survival,' said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity as he isn't authorized to speak about the case under investigation. Polyakov is suspected of violating Indian laws that carry a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine. Visitors are banned from traveling within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of North Sentinel Island, whose population has been isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years. The inhabitants use spears and bows and arrows to hunt the animals that roam the small, heavily forested island. Deeply suspicious of outsiders, they attack anyone who lands onto their beaches. In 2018, an American missionary who landed illegally on the beach was killed by North Sentinelese Islanders who apparently shot him with arrows and then buried his body on the beach. In 2006, the Sentinelese had killed two fishermen who had accidentally landed on the shore. An official from the US consulate visited Polyakov in jail earlier this week. 'We take our commitment to assist US citizens abroad seriously and are monitoring the situation,' the US Embassy in New Delhi said in a statement, while declining to divulge further details due to privacy considerations. Police said Polyakov had conducted detailed research on sea conditions, tides and accessibility to the island before starting his journey. He stayed on the beach for about an hour, blowing a whistle to attract the attention but got no response from the islanders. The young American had twice attempted to visit the island in the past, and left a can of Diet Coke and a coconut as offering for the tribe this time after he failed to contact the Sentinelese. He shot a video of the island on his camera and collected some sand samples before returning to his boat. On his return he was spotted by local fishermen, who informed the authorities and Polyakov was arrested in Port Blair, an archipelago nearly 750 miles (1,207 kilometers) east of India's mainland.
Chicago Tribune
17-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
US YouTuber remains in custody in India after visiting restricted island with a Diet Coke can
NEW DELHI — A 24-year-old American YouTuber who was arrested after visiting an off-limits island in the Indian Ocean with hopes of establishing contact with a reclusive tribe was further detained in custody on Thursday. Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov will next appear before a local court in Port Blair — the capital of India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands — on April 29, police said. Polyakov, from Scottsdale, Arizona, was arrested on March 31, two days after he set foot on the restricted territory of North Sentinel Island in a bid to meet people from the reclusive Sentinelese tribe. 'It may be claimed to be an adventure trip, but the fact is that there has been a violation of Indian laws. Outsiders meeting Sentinelese could endanger the tribe's survival,' said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity as he isn't authorized to speak about the case under investigation. Polyakov is suspected of violating Indian laws that carry a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine. Visitors are banned from traveling within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of North Sentinel Island, whose population has been isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years. The inhabitants use spears and bows and arrows to hunt the animals that roam the small, heavily forested island. Deeply suspicious of outsiders, they attack anyone who lands onto their beaches. In 2018, an American missionary who landed illegally on the beach was killed by North Sentinelese Islanders who apparently shot him with arrows and then buried his body on the beach. In 2006, the Sentinelese had killed two fishermen who had accidentally landed on the shore. An official from the U.S. consulate visited Polyakov in jail earlier this week. The U.S embassy in Delhi didn't immediately respond to a request confirming the visit or any further updates on Polyakov. Police said Polyakov had conducted detailed research on sea conditions, tides and accessibility to the island before starting his journey. He stayed on the beach for about an hour, blowing a whistle to attract the attention but got no response from the islanders. The young American had twice attempted to visit the island in the past, and left a can of Diet Coke and a coconut as offering for the tribe this time after he failed to contact the Sentinelese. He shot a video of the island on his camera and collected some sand samples before returning to his boat. On his return he was spotted by local fishermen, who informed the authorities and Polyakov was arrested in Port Blair, an archipelago nearly 750 miles (1,207 kilometers) east of India's mainland.
