Major Update On Tourist Arrested For Trying To Reach ‘World’s Most Isolated Tribe’ To Deliver A Can Of Coke

An American tourist remains in custody over his strange bid to go viral.

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 25, was arrested for venturing onto a small, densely forested island that is completely forbidden to outsiders.

The island is home to an isolated hunter-gatherer tribe, known to be fiercely hostile towards outsiders.

A new update was shared in the case of Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, who was arrested last year for his bizarre attempt at making contact with the Sentinelese tribe.

The tribe lives in the restricted territory of North Sentinel Island, part of India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The 25-year-old tourist arrived at the island last year with big hopes of meeting the reclusive tribe.

It is believed he spent an hour on the island and blew a whistle, trying to get their attention.

However, he received no response from the islanders.

Eventually, Mykhailo decided to leave and left behind a can of Diet Coke and a coconut as an offering to the protected indigenous people.

He filmed a video on his camera, collected some samples of sand, and returned to his boat, ready to make the journey back.

However, on his way back, local fishermen spotted him and alerted authorities. He was swiftly arrested in Port Blair.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ police chief HGS Dhaliwal told AFP last year that “an American citizen” was arrested and kept in custody for “further interrogation.”

“A review of his GoPro camera footage showed his entry and landing into the restricted North Sentinel Island,” the police chief told the outlet.

Investigators found that Mykhailo had visisted the region on two occasions before.

“He planned meticulously over several days to visit the island and make contact with the Sentinel tribe,” the police chief added.

The content creator claimed he was a “thrill seeker” to cops following his arrest.

As per the law, it is illegal for foreigners or Indians to travel within three miles of the island, and the intention is to protect the indigenous people of the land.

Local police registered a case against Mykhailo for violating the Asian country’s laws.

This week, his plea to be released on bail was rejected, and his judicial custody was extended by a Port Blair court.

He could face up to five years behind bars if found guilty.

His next court appearance is expected to be on April 29.

For thousands of years, the Sentinelese tribe has been isolated from the rest of the world and has been hostile towards outsiders.

They are known to roam around the forested island with spears, bows, and arrows, which they use to hunt animals. They use the same weapons when humans trespass their protected island.

Officials from India also do not interfere with their way of living. Contact with them has been limited, and occasionally, small teams of officials and scientists leave coconuts and bananas for the people and leave.

In 2018, American missionary John Allen Chau had paid fishermen to smuggle him to the island.

He wanted to “declare Jesus” to the Sentinelese, according to an entry in his diaries, which he gave to the fishermen before departing for the island for what ultimately became his last ever trip.

The missionary was greeted with the tribe’s arrows and lost his life on November 17, 2018.

Survival International, a group that advocates for the rights of tribal people, addressed the “deeply disturbing” incident of Mykhailo endangering his own life.

The organization described the Sentinelese tribe as “the most isolated Indigenous people in the world,” and they live on an island that is roughly the size of Manhattan.

Jonathan Mazower, spokesperson for Survival International, said they were afraid that social media has become yet another entry to the growing list of things threatening uncontacted tribal people, including other groups living in the Amazon, central Africa, and other regions.

“As well as all the somewhat more established threats to such peoples - from things like logging and mining in the Amazon where most uncontacted peoples live - there are now an increasing number of... influencers who are trying to do this kind of thing for followers,” Jonathan told the BBC last year.

“There's a growing social media fascination with this whole idea,” he added.

It is believed there are roughly 200 people who are members of the Sentinelese tribe, but it is “impossible” to know the real number, Jonathan told the outlet.