The American tourist accused of putting the world’s most isolated tribe at risk by illegally landing on its remote island and leaving behind a can of Diet Coke is a would-be travel influencer who previously filmed himself with armed Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov was detained by police earlier this week after allegedly making an unauthorized landing on North Sentinel Island, part of India’s Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
MailOnline has obtained the official police report, which says the 24-year-old had already attempted to reach the island twice—first in October last year and again in January.
He traveled to the island last week in a gray Gemini inflatable boat. Police later seized fuel, binoculars, a GoPro camera, a life jacket and other items from his room at the Andaman Sunset View hotel.
Polyakov regularly documents his adventures on YouTube under the name Neo-Orientalist, a reference to the concept of neo-Orientalism—the way Western countries are often accused of portraying the Islamic world through stereotypical and negative narratives.
Five months ago, he appeared to hint at his plans for North Sentinel Island by posting a cartoon image of a Tintin-style adventurer and a small brown dog sailing toward a desert island. He captioned the image: ‘A little Columbus day teaser for the fans.’
After his arrest, commentators quickly noted the apparent similarity between the post and his alleged visit to the prohibited reserve, home to the reclusive and ‘particularly vulnerable’ Sentinelese tribe.
One user described the image as ‘disturbing’, while another wrote: ‘This shows premediated evidence for the crime you just got arrested for. Top tier brain activity.’
Polyakov, whose YouTube channel has just under 400 subscribers, traveled to Afghanistan last year and chronicled the trip in a series called ‘Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan Through American Eyes’.
The videos show Polyakov being handed a machine gun by Taliban members and examining Soviet-era tanks. He made the trip despite the US State Department’s level four ‘do not travel’ warning for Afghanistan.
Polyakov, whose father is Ukrainian, appeared briefly before a judge in Port Blair on Monday and is due back in court on Saturday.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov (pictured in Afghanistan last year) is a travel influencer who previously spent time with armed Taliban fighters in Afghanistan
Polyakov, whose YouTube channel has just under 400 subscribers, visited Afghanistan last year and documented the trip in videos titled ‘Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan Through American Eyes’. He is pictured eating an ice cream in Afghanistan
Polyakov was arrested in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands after allegedly making an illegal and unauthorized landing in the tribal reserve on North Sentinel Island, home to the ‘particularly vulnerable’ Sentinelese tribe (pictured in a file photo)
The police report says Polyakov ‘ventured into the sea without informing authorities’ on March 28 and returned the following day ‘without a clear explanation’, MailOnline can reveal.
‘A review of his GoPro footage suggested possible entry into the restricted North Sentinel Island,’ the report states.
It continues: ‘His recordings showed him claiming unofficial representation of the US and landing on North Sentinel Island.’
According to the document, he set sail from Kurma Dera Beach at around 1am on Saturday, March 29, carrying a coconut and a Diet Coke as alleged ‘offerings for the Sentinelese’.
The report says he reached the northeastern coast of North Sentinel Island at about 10am.
‘Using binoculars, he surveyed the area but saw no inhabitants,’ the document says. ‘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.
‘He remained offshore for an hour, blowing a whistle in an attempt to attract attention but received no response.
‘At 1pm he started his return journey and reached Kurma Dera Beach by 7pm, where he was spotted by local fishermen.’
The report also describes an earlier visit to Port Blair in October, when Polyakov planned to sail to North Sentinel Island in an ‘inflatable kayak’ but was stopped by hotel staff.
During another visit in January, he traveled to the Baratang Islands and allegedly ‘illegally videographed the Jarawa tribe’.
Mykhailo Polyakov, pictured in his arrest photograph, was detained after allegedly making an illegal and unauthorized landing in the tribal reserve on North Sentinel Island
Police seized the inflatable boat Polyakov allegedly used to cross the 25-mile stretch of water from Kurma Dera Beach to North Sentinel Island
Last September, Polyakov uploaded six videos of about 30 minutes each documenting his visit to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
The footage covers his three-week stay, including walks through city streets, drinking tea with locals and interactions with Taliban members.
In one clip, Taliban members hand him an assault-style weapon and place an ammunition belt around his neck. Polyakov can be heard saying ‘yes’ as he raises the weapon, before firing it in another section of the footage.
He wrote: ‘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.’
He ended the description by telling his 398 subscribers: ‘Join me as I navigate one of the most dangerous and unquestionably the most conservative country in the world. Don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe for more!’
In another video, he receives a $2 haircut and tells viewers: ‘Just got a fresh cut. Looking extra crispy today.
‘Great thing it cost only $2 and unlike in America where they flip a tablet and demand 30 per cent above the price which is always great,’ he says, adding that he was also given a coat of lipstick.
Other videos show him exploring an abandoned US military base, including a sand-bagged bunker marked by bullet holes and shrapnel damage. While filming destroyed military vehicles, he asks: ‘How much did we leave behind?’
In another clip titled ‘Road Rage Afghan Edition’, he appears to record what he describes as a ‘traffic dispute’ that ‘ends in gunfire’.
The official police report says Polyakov, 24, (pictured) had already reached the island twice before—once in October last year and again in January
Polyakov arrived in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on March 26. He crossed the 25-mile stretch of water from Kurma Dera Beach to North Sentinel Island in an inflatable boat on March 29.
Using GPS, he navigated toward the forbidden island and reached its northeastern shore about nine hours after setting out early that morning. He used binoculars to search the island for signs of life.
Police said Polyakov spent about an hour blowing a whistle from his inflatable boat in an effort to attract attention, but received no response. He then went ashore on North Sentinel Island.
Police say he spent approximately five minutes collecting sand, filming on his GoPro and leaving a can of soda and a coconut as alleged ‘offerings for the Sentinelese’ tribe.
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Investigators allege that the journey was carefully planned and that Polyakov had studied sea conditions, tides and possible landing points before setting off.
He returned to Kurma Dera Beach at about 7pm that day, where local fishermen saw him and reported his actions to police.
Investigators are also working to establish where else Polyakov traveled during his stay and are ‘questioning the hotel staff where he was staying in Port Blair’.
‘We are getting more details about him and his intention to visit the reserved tribal area,’ the Director General of Police for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands told The Press Trust of India.
The US Embassy, India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Home Department have been informed of his arrest.
Polyakov, 24, (pictured) makes YouTube videos under the name Neo-Orientalist. Five months before his arrest, he appeared to hint at a visit to North Sentinel Island by posting a cartoon of a Tintin-style adventurer and a small brown dog sailing toward a desert island. He captioned it: ‘A little Columbus day teaser for the fans’
Police allege that Mykhailo Polyakov’s (pictured) journey to restricted North Sentinel Island was carefully planned and that he studied sea conditions, tides and landing points before setting sail
India bans visits to North Sentinel Island to protect the Sentinelese from outside threats.
The tribe is considered particularly vulnerable and is reportedly hostile toward outsiders. Members have attacked almost everyone known to have entered their territory.
Caroline Pearce, director of the indigenous rights organization Survival International, described Polyakov’s alleged attempt to reach the island as ‘reckless and idiotic’.
‘This person’s actions not only endangered his own life, they put the lives of the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk,’ she said in a statement provided to MailOnline.
‘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.’
Pearce said the ‘Sentinelese have made their wish to avoid outsiders incredibly clear over the years’, pointing to the killing of American missionary John Chau by the tribe in November 2018.
Chau, 26, was killed by a hail of arrows as he went ashore on North Sentinel Island. He had repeatedly tried to contact the Sentinelese to speak to them about Jesus, despite a friend saying that ‘he knew that he had no business doing.’
Fishermen who helped him reach the island said the tribe tied a rope around his neck and dragged his body away. His remains have not been recovered.
Polyakov reached the shores of North Sentinel Island (pictured in a file photo) at about 10am on March 29 and used binoculars to search for signs of life. He then spent roughly an hour blowing a whistle from his inflatable boat, but received no response
Polyakov allegedly spent about five minutes on the island, collecting sand, recording a GoPro video and leaving a can of soda and a coconut as supposed ‘offerings for the Sentinelese’ tribe (pictured in a file photo)
Chau began missionary training at the All Nations International headquarters in Kansas City in October 2017 before embarking on his travels.
The organization believes that spreading the word of God to ‘all nations’ will bring about the second coming of Jesus and seeks to advance that mission.
Chau had previously visited the Andaman Islands, including North Sentinel Island, in 2015 and 2016. He hoped to return, build a long-term relationship with the tribespeople and, if possible, be accepted to live among them.
He arranged his 2018 trip through a friend, who hired seven fishermen for $325 to take him to the island in a boat towing his kayak. His first attempt to make contact came on November 15.
Chau paddled toward the shore in his kayak and instructed the fishermen to take the boat back out to sea in an attempt to avoid detection.
He returned several hours later, this time trying to walk onto the beach to offer gifts such as a football and fish to the tribespeople.
The tribe again reacted aggressively, chasing him back into the water as he swam toward the fishermen waiting offshore.
Despite the hostility, he returned twice more. He was met with further resistance, and his final attempt proved fatal.
American missionary John Chau, 26, (pictured) was killed by a hail of arrows as he went ashore on North Sentinel Island in November 2018. He had repeatedly tried to contact the Sentinelese to speak to them about Jesus—a move a friend said ‘he knew that he had no business doing’
Speaking about Polyakov’s arrest, Pearce said: ‘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.’
‘The Indian authorities have a legal responsibility to ensure that the Sentinelese are safe from missionaries, social media influencers, people fishing illegally in their waters and anyone else who may try to make contact with them.’
MailOnline has contacted police and the US Embassy in India for comment.
The Sentinelese are regarded as the world’s last pre-Neolithic tribe and have a long history of resisting outsiders. Because they reject contact with the outside world, little is known about them—including the name they use for themselves.
Most information has come from observations made from boats anchored at a safe distance, where members of the tribe have been seen carrying spears, bows and arrows, or from rare occasions when they allowed officials to approach and deliver coconuts.
The Sentinelese drew global attention after the 2004 Asian tsunami, when a member of the tribe was photographed on a beach firing arrows at a helicopter checking on their welfare.
North Sentinel Island is off-limits even to the Indian navy as part of efforts to protect its isolated inhabitants, whose population is estimated at about 150.
Campaigning by nonprofit and local organizations persuaded the Indian government to abandon plans to establish contact with the Sentinelese.
The Sentinelese drew international attention after the 2004 Asian tsunami, when a tribe member was photographed on a beach firing arrows at a helicopter checking on their welfare
This rare image, taken from an Indian Coast Guard helicopter, shows Sentinelese tribesmen walking on the boat belonging to two fishermen who were killed in January 2006 after drifting onto North Sentinel Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Contact with the tribe is illegal, and the Indian government says photographing or filming Indigenous Andaman tribes can result in up to three years in prison.
Survival International, which campaigns against further attempts to contact the tribe, says the Sentinelese have lived and thrived on the forested island—roughly the size of Manhattan—for up to 55,000 years.
Sentinelese women wear fiber strings around their waists, necks and heads. Men also wear necklaces and headbands, along with a thicker belt around the waist.
Seen from a distance, members of the tribe appear healthy, and observers have reported seeing children and pregnant women.
According to Survival International, the Sentinelese hunt and gather in the forest and fish in coastal waters using narrow outrigger canoes. The boats are limited to shallow water and are propelled and steered with a pole, much like a punt.
