US Man Arrested For Entering Sealed North Sentinel Island In Andamans: Police
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov (24), who was arrested by the CID on March 31, had entered the North Sentinel Island without any permission, they added.
Port Blair:
An American national was arrested in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for allegedly intruding into the restricted tribal reserve zone of the North Sentinel Island, police stated on Wednesday.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov (24), who was arrested by the CID on March 31, had allegedly intruded into the North Sentinel Island without any authority, they added.
He had arrived in Port Blair on March 26 and proceeded to North Sentinel Island from the Kurma Dera beach, they added.
He set off in his boat from Kurma Dera beach at about 1 am on March 29 with a coconut and a can of cola as “offerings for the Sentinelese”, police added.
Polyakov reached the northeastern shore of North Sentinel Island by 10 am. Using binoculars, he surveyed the area but saw no inhabitants, they said.
He remained offshore for an hour, blowing a whistle to attract attention, but received no response.
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, police said.
At 1 pm, he began his return trip and arrived at Kurma Dera Beach at 7 pm, where he was seen by local fishermen, they added.
DGP HS Dhaliwal informed PTI, “We are learning more about him and his plans to go to the reserved tribal area. We are also making efforts to know where else he had traveled in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We are interrogating the hotel staff where he was staying in Port Blair.” The materials seized from him included an inflatable boat and outboard motor or OBM, which he had fabricated at a local workshop.
Police added that he had carefully planned his trip — done a study on sea conditions, tides, and approachability from the Kurma Dera beach.
He used GPS navigation during his trip, they added.
Polyakov, whose father is of Ukrainian descent, was found to have in his possession a GoPro camera, and its video revealed that he had reached North Sentinel Island, police added.
He is currently in police custody on a court’s orders for further questioning.
Police added that this was not his first visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
He had earlier visited Port Blair last October and tried to conduct reconnaissance for North Sentinel Island using an inflatable kayak but was deterred by hotel staff.
He had visited the islands again in January of this year as well, and had tried to obtain a motor for his vessel. At the time of this visit, he visited the Baratang Islands, and reputedly illegally taped the Jarawa tribe, said police.
An FIR was filed against him under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and sections of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Amendment Regulation, 2012, on the complaint filed at the Ograbraj police station by the Tribal Welfare Officer of Tirur, Pronab Sircar.
Warning of his arrest was sent to the Home Department for onward transmission to the Ministry of External Affairs and the US Embassy, police added.
The Sentinelese, who live on the North Sentinel Island, are classified as a specially vulnerable tribal group. They are part of the larger class of Andamanese individuals.
They are unfriendly towards outsiders and have killed individuals who came near or landed on the island.
American missionary John Chau was shot dead in November 2018 when he tried to make contact with the Sentinelese, the world’s last pre-Neolithic tribe.
