YouTube daredevil arrested by Indian authorities after visiting remote island where US missionary was killed
Share and Follow

A daredevil YouTube influencer has been arrested after visiting a remote Indian island, where he tried to make illegal contact with indigenous people, according to global reports.

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, of Arizona, allegedly traveled to the restricted North Sentinel Island, where he tried to offer a coconut and can of Diet Coke as “offerings for the Sentinelese,” The Andaman Chronicle and The Washington Post reported, citing local police.

Police in Andaman and Nicobar Islands reportedly said he visited the region because of “his passion for adventure and his desire to undertake extreme challenges,” police said. It was apparently his third time trying to make the trip, according to The Post.

Polyakov was also apparently wearing a GoPro portable camera, showing him entering the island’s shore “claiming unofficial representation of the U.S.,” police said in a statement.

Contact with the Sentinelese people is strictly prohibited due to their protected indigenous way of life, the Chronicle reported.

Members of the Jarawas tribe making an arrowhead

The Jarawas, a tribe of small negroids genetically similar to the South African bushmen, live on the Andaman Islands, an archipelago stretching between Burma and Indonesia in the middle of the Bay of Bengal (Indian Ocean). (Thierry Falise/LightRocket )

“We are getting more details about him and his intention to visit the reserved tribal area. We are also trying to find where else he had visited during his stay in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We are questioning the hotel staff where he was staying in Port Blair,” Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal, director general of police of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said in a statement to the Chronicle.

Caroline Pearce, director of Survival International, a nonprofit seeking to help indigenous and tribal societies around the world, called Polyakov’s actions “deeply disturbing” and noted the death of an American missionary who attempted to make contact with people on the island in 2018.

The shore of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Contact with the Sentinelese people is strictly prohibited due to their protected indigenous way of life, The Andaman Chronicle reported. (Ed Reeve/View Pictures/Universal Images Group)

“The Sentinelese have made their wish to avoid outsiders incredibly clear over the years – I’m sure many remember the 2018 incident in which an American missionary, John Allen Chau, was killed by them after landing on their island to try to convert them to Christianity,” Pearce said in a statement. “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”

Pearce added that uncontacted indigenous peoples across the globe “are experiencing the invasion of their lands on a shocking scale.”

“Countless uncontacted peoples in the Amazon are being invaded by loggers and gold-miners. The uncontacted Shompen of Great Nicobar Island, not far from North Sentinel, will be wiped out if India goes ahead with its plan to transform their island into ‘the Hong Kong of India,’” Pearce continued. “The common factor in all these cases is governments’ refusal to abide by international law and recognize and protect uncontacted peoples’ territories.”

Polyakov is currently in judicial custody and has a hearing scheduled for April 17, The Post reported.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Trump’s warning to Nigeria offers hope to nation's persecuted Christians

Trump’s Call to Action: A Beacon of Hope for Nigeria’s Persecuted Christians

A Nigerian pastor, alongside other Christian leaders, has expressed support for former…
Idiot tourists narrowly avoid being gored by bison in Yellowstone

Tourists Have Close Encounter with Bison in Yellowstone National Park

In a nerve-wracking incident at Yellowstone National Park, two tourists had a…
Kate's touching tribute to the fallen as she leads Armistice Day

Kate Middleton Honors the Fallen with Heartfelt Tribute on Armistice Day

The Princess of Wales paid a heartfelt tribute to the fallen heroes…
Democrats' aide had lavish life paid for by China, prosecutors say

Prosecutors Claim Democratic Aide Lived Luxuriously on Funds from China

Federal prosecutors have accused a former senior aide to New York Governor…
Senate approves bill to end longest government shutdown in US history

Senate Passes Legislation to Conclude Nation’s Lengthiest Government Shutdown

The United States Senate cast a vote on Monday night to conclude…
Paris Jackson reveals she has a HOLE in her nose from drug abuse

Paris Jackson Discloses Nasal Damage Resulting from Past Substance Abuse

Paris Jackson recently opened up about the severe consequences of her past…
ByHeart baby formula recall linked to infant botulism outbreak is expanding | Here's what to know

Expansion of ByHeart Baby Formula Recall Due to Link to Infant Botulism Outbreak: Essential Information You Need to Know

ByHeart, a company known for its organic baby formula, has initiated a…
Bloody brawl breaks out as agitators protest TPUSA event at UC Berkeley in California

Violent Clashes Erupt at TPUSA Event: Chaos Ensues During UC Berkeley Protest

A violent altercation unfolded on Monday afternoon near the University of California,…