Anthropology

Judi Lynn

(163,317 posts) Mon Apr 7, 2025, 05:20 PM Apr 7

American man who left a Diet Coke can for a reclusive tribe on an island is arrested in India

Visitors are banned from traveling within 5 kilometres of the island, whose population has been isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years

Indian police have arrested a 24-year-old American Youtuber who visited an off-limits island in the Indian ocean and left an offering of a Diet Coke can and a coconut in an attempt to make contact with an isolated tribe known for attacking intruders.

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, from Scottsdale, Arizona, was arrested on March 31, two days after he set foot on the restricted territory of North Sentinel Island — part of India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands — in a bid to meet people from the reclusive Sentinelese tribe, police said.

A local court last week sent Polyakov to a 14-day judicial custody and he is set to appear again in the court on April 17. The charges carry a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine. Indian authorities said they had informed the U.S. Embassy about the case.

Visitors are banned from traveling within 3 miles (5 kilometres) of the island, whose population has been isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years. The inhabitants use spears and bows and arrows to hunt the animals that roam the small, heavily forested island. Deeply suspicious of outsiders, they attack anyone who lands onto their beaches.

. . .

In a statement, police said Polyakov’s “actions posed a serious threat to the safety and well-being of the Sentinelese people, whose contact with outsiders is strictly prohibited by the law to protect their indigenous way of life.”

More:
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/american-youtuber-arrested-in-india-after-trying-to-make-contact-with-an-isolated-tribe

- click the following links for images of this deep thinker -

https://static.toiimg.com/thumb/imgsize-23456,msid-120033436,width-600,resizemode-4/youtuber-1.jpg

https://media.rnztools.nz/rnz/image/upload/s--5POyJbeq--/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_1050/v1743717179/4K9HCLG_AmericanarrestedIndia_png

https://static.toiimg.com/thumb/msid-120033402,width-1280,height-720,resizemode-4/120033402.jpg

10 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

American man who left a Diet Coke can for a reclusive tribe on an island is arrested in India (Original Post) Judi Lynn Apr 7 OP

A five year sentence is too harsh. 3Hotdogs Apr 7 #1

I'll agree. Deuxcents Apr 7 #2

Diet Coke IbogaProject Apr 7 #5

So which was worse? The guy bringing a can of Diet Coke, or the last guy who got killed for his efforts to bring 3Hotdogs Apr 7 #6

Equal IbogaProject Apr 7 #7

hope he gets the full 5 years stopdiggin Apr 7 #3

From Scottsdale synni Apr 7 #4

Dumbass. I hope India puts him away for a while Warpy Apr 7 #8

Yep 5 years where he can buy parole after doing half IbogaProject Apr 7 #9

I'm glad he getting some jail time. 5 yrs? Well, it's a deterent. It's a needed strict policy until, like.... electric_blue68 Apr 13 #10

3Hotdogs

(14,104 posts)

1. A five year sentence is too harsh.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Mon Apr 7, 2025, 05:33 PM

Apr 7

Last edited Mon Apr 7, 2025, 06:24 PM - Edit history (1)

I would support 59 months with no possibility of parole.

Look. He did bring them a can of Coke.

Deuxcents

(21,873 posts)

2. I'll agree.

Reply to 3Hotdogs (Reply #1)

Mon Apr 7, 2025, 05:36 PM

Apr 7

IbogaProject

(4,284 posts)

5. Diet Coke

Reply to 3Hotdogs (Reply #1)

Mon Apr 7, 2025, 07:46 PM

Apr 7

Poison basically

3Hotdogs

(14,104 posts)

6. So which was worse? The guy bringing a can of Diet Coke, or the last guy who got killed for his efforts to bring

Reply to IbogaProject (Reply #5)

Mon Apr 7, 2025, 07:50 PM

Apr 7

Jesus to the island?

IbogaProject

(4,284 posts)

7. Equal

Reply to 3Hotdogs (Reply #6)

Mon Apr 7, 2025, 10:16 PM

Apr 7

Fact is they are isolated and any contact could spread disease either direction. Only contact should be if they somehow come off the island.

stopdiggin

(13,610 posts)

3. hope he gets the full 5 years

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Mon Apr 7, 2025, 05:50 PM

Apr 7

And I hope our 'state dept' - does absolutely NOTHING in the way of support or mitigation.

'F' these entitled 'influencers'! And 'F' those people that support them. (realize it's a personal beef ... but these are the same crappy human beings that are vidding themselves while carving their initials into historical monuments and archeological treasures. the world can do with a multi-year absence for the lot of them! )

synni

(299 posts)

4. From Scottsdale

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Mon Apr 7, 2025, 06:58 PM

Apr 7

Why am I not surprised? The most bizarre crimes always seem to have an "Arizona connection," as the local newscasters call it. And people from Scottsdale tend to be the most entitled of them all.

Warpy

(113,237 posts)

8. Dumbass. I hope India puts him away for a while

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Mon Apr 7, 2025, 10:21 PM

Apr 7

He's damned lucky he didn't end up full of arrows. The Sentinel Island people take a very dim viw of tourists and aggressive missionaries.

This looks like a rich kid whose gap year has lasted WAY too long.

IbogaProject

(4,284 posts)

9. Yep 5 years where he can buy parole after doing half

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Mon Apr 7, 2025, 10:30 PM

Apr 7

I'm ok with the authorities being pragmatic with this and getting their enforcement costs recovered and some improvement to the surveillance of the island perimeter to prevent interlopers or catch them at sea. Maybe designate the island to be like a boat and intrusion is considered piracy and an international crime.

electric_blue68

(20,971 posts)

10. I'm glad he getting some jail time. 5 yrs? Well, it's a deterent. It's a needed strict policy until, like....

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Sun Apr 13, 2025, 01:36 AM

Apr 13

maybe a bunch of Islanders come on to the beach, keep returning, and signaling in some fashion that they're interested in outside form of communication.

It's their call. I suppose how many Islanders will object to that group. Who knows. A tricky situation.

Reply to this discussion