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A YOUTUBER who travelled to a forbidden island to meet a deadly tribe had already tried and failed twice before, cops have now revealed.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, risked his life by journeying to North Sentinel Island on Saturday – where unwanted visitors have been killed by flying arrows in the past.
The idiotic tourist was arrested after leaving a coconut and can of Coke as a “peace offering” for the tribe.
But this is not the first time the US traveller has tried to make contact with the desolate population.
Polyakov reportedly first attempted to visit the island back in October on an inflatable kayak, but was quickly stopped by hotel staff.
The YouTuber tried again in January – but only made it as far as the nearby Baratang lslands.
He illegally filmed the Jarawa tribe during this trip – an indigenous hunter-gatherer community.
To ensure his third dangerous trip was a success Polyakov planned his every move out.
According to the police the trip was “meticulously planned” and it is likely that he studied sea conditions, tides and access points before setting sail.
Polyakov set off on his risky expedition at 1am on Saturday from Kurma Dera Beach – with a coconut and can of Coke in hand.
He travelled in an inflatable dingy complete with a make-shift motor and GPS.
Polyakov reached the northeastern shore of the island nine hours later, at around 10am.
From here, he scanned the area using binoculars.
He then landed on the island for about five minutes, giving him just enough time to deliver his bizarre offerings.
The YouTuber also collected sand samples and recorded a video on his GoPro before leaving on his boat.
Go Pro footage apparently depicted him “claiming unofficial representation of the US”.
Polyakov remained near the island for another hour, blowing a whistle repeatedly in a crazed attempt to attract attention, but no one responded.
He began his return journey at 1pm, and returned to Kurma Dera Beach by 7pm where he was spotted by local fisherman who alerted the cops.
The police arrested Polyakov and seized his binoculars, Go Pro and life jacket, among other items in his room at The Andaman Sunset View hotel.
The idiotic adventurer now has a case against him for a breach of protection of aboriginal tribes.
And it is now thought he had been planning the exploit for a while, as he seemingly teased on social media five months ago.
He uploaded a cartoon image of a Tintin style adventurer with a small brown dog, sailing a small boat towards a desert island with the caption: “A little Columbus day teaser for the fans”.
Polyakov regularly posts travel videos on his YouTube channel to his 400 subscribers under the username Neo-Orientalist.
This is thought to refer to the concept of neo-Orientalism which critiques the way Western countries portray the Islamic world.
After visiting Afghanistan last year, he posted a series of six videos titled “Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan Through American Eyes”.
The footage recorded his three week stay as he filmed himself walking through the streets, meeting with local people and interacting with the Taliban.
In some of the most shocking footage the man can be seen posing with the Taliban before being handed a machine gun and draping an ammunition belt round his neck.
He can then be heard saying “yes”, as he holds up the weapon.
Polyakov posted the videos with the caption: “In this series, I take a three-week road trip across what has become the unrecognized Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan following the chaotic US withdrawal in 2021 and the rapid takeover of the country by the Taliban.”
“Recognized as a terrorist group by many countries, the Taliban maintain a strict theocratic regime in which music, dancing, women’s education, being clean shaven, using birth control, and even the depiction of faces are forbidden.
“Join me as I navigate one of the most dangerous and unquestionably the most conservative country in the world.”
Polyakov also filmed himself walking through an abandoned US military base as he explored a sand bugged bunker with bullet holes and shrapnel damage.
Another bombshell moment was clip he uploaded entitled “Road Rage Afghan Edition” in which he said a “traffic dispute ends in gunfire”.
Polyakov was reportedly inspired by the last visitor to the island -John Allen Chau.
The 26-year-old was killed in a hail of arrows after venturing onto the remote island unannounced.
The Christian missionary visited the isle after reportedly feeling called by God to share his beliefs with the tribe.
Efforts to recover John’s body were abandoned over fears of further antagonising the remote Sentinelese.
Two fishermen who strayed on to the island in 2006 were also killed – and one week after their deaths, their bodies were hooked on bamboo stakes facing out to sea.
Contacting isolated tribes can be extremely dangerous due to their lack of immunity to common diseases in the outside world.
And it could even risk leading to devastating epidemics by transmitting a new kind of bug from them to the rest of the planet.
What happened to the last person to visit the island?
- John Allen Chau was the last person to visit North Sentinel Island in 2018.
- Chau was killed by the Sentinelese tribe on his visit.
- Chau was an American missionary who felt it was his “calling” to preach to the tribe.
- Chau was illegally ferried to the island by fishermen.
- While a murder case was registered, the killers couldn’t be prosecuted as contact with the island is forbidden.
- Efforts to recover his body were abandoned over fears of further antagonising the tribe.
- A journal belonging him was found by police after his death where he wrote about his desire to spread God’s word.
The director of indigenous rights group Survival International, Caroline Pearce, said Polyakov’s attempt to make contact with the tribe was “deeply disturbing”.
Pearce said: “It beggars belief that someone could be that reckless and idiotic.
“This person’s actions not only endangered his own life, they put the lives of the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk.
“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 has been off limits since 1996, and it is illegal to come within three miles of it.
Anthropologists estimate that there could be anywhere between 50 to 100 people who live there.
Not much is known about the people who live on the island, other than their violence and unwillingness to communicate with outsiders.
The hunter-gatherer tribe carries bows and arrows, as well as spears and knives.
They do not welcome unwanted visitors and will kill them if they get too close.
Only a small group of people have ever been on the island and lived to tell the tale.
