Influencer under investigation by Indian authorities
The American influencer and tourist, identified as 24-year-old Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, was arrested after visiting an isolated tribe on North Sentinel Island, which is protected by India.
He left a coconut and a Coca-Cola for the tribe, which is known for its hostility. After the act, Indian authorities launched an investigation against Polyakov, who was arrested on Monday, the 30th.
According to Indian law, visiting North Sentinel Island is prohibited to preserve the lifestyle of the native people. The Sentinelese are considered a vulnerable group, hostile to outsiders, and have previously attacked and killed people who approached or landed on the island.
Polyakov landed on the island, which is known for avoiding any contact with the outside world. The influencer reportedly used an improvised boat to cross around 40 km from South Andaman Island to North Sentinel Island. He entered the island without any authorization.
Before landing, Polyakov stayed at sea for an hour in a boat and used a whistle to try to draw the attention of the natives, who did not appear.
He remained on North Sentinel Island for five minutes, left the coconut and soda on the beach, collected sand samples, and recorded a video before returning to his boat and heading back to Kurma Dera Beach, where he had departed from.
Polyakov is under investigation by police to determine the motive for his visit to the tribe. According to authorities, the tourist meticulously planned the trip.
Source and images: NyPost / YouTube. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
