A citizen of the US was detained in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for reportedly trespassing into the restricted tribal reserve of North Sentinel Island, police announced on Wednesday.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, was reportedly taken into custody by the CID on March 31 for allegedly entering North Sentinel Island without permission, they stated.
He reached Port Blair on March 26 and traveled to North Sentinel Island from the Kurma Dera beach, they reported.
According to police, he set off his boat from Kurma Dera beach at approximately 1 am on March 29, bringing a coconut and a cola can as “gifts for the Sentinelese.”
By 10 am, Polyakov arrived at the northeastern coast of North Sentinel Island. They claimed that he examined the area with binoculars but found no residents. He stayed out at sea for an hour, using a whistle to call for help, but got no reply.
According to police, he touched down for approximately five minutes, left the gifts on the beach, gathered sand samples, and filmed a video before heading back to his boat.
He began his journey back at 1 pm and arrived at Kurma Dera Beach by 7 pm, where local fishermen noticed him, they reported.
DGP HS Dhaliwal told PTI, “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. Among the items seized from him were an inflatable boat and an outboard motor or OBM, which he had assembled at a local workshop.”
Authorities stated he had thoroughly organized his trip — researched maritime conditions, tidal patterns, and access to Kurma Dera beach.
They claimed he utilized GPS navigation during his journey.
