Traveller arrested for trying to gift coke to world's most isolated tribe
Listen to article
An American man has been arrested after illegally entering India's North Sentinel Island, home to one of the world's most isolated and uncontacted tribes, and leaving behind a soft drink can and a coconut.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, reportedly crossed the 40 kilometres stretch of ocean to reach the forbidden island using an inflatable motorised boat and GPS navigation.
Indian authorities said the visit, carried out on March 29, violated laws protecting the pre-Neolithic Sentinelese tribe and put both the tribe and the tourist at risk.
The island, part of India's Andaman and Nicobar territory, has been off limits to outsiders since 1996. Indian Navy patrols regularly enforce a five-nautical-mile exclusion zone.
Police said Polyakov arrived in Port Blair on 26 March and began planning his expedition meticulously. On the morning of 29 March, he sailed from Kurma Dera beach, reached the northeastern shore of North Sentinel Island, and attempted to attract attention by blowing a whistle.
After an hour with no response, he briefly stepped ashore, left the items as offerings, collected sand samples, and recorded a video before leaving.
He returned to the mainland later that evening, where fishermen alerted the authorities. Police seized his boat and camera and confirmed that he remains in custody.
Investigators say Polyakov has a history of unauthorised contact with protected tribes. He allegedly visited Baratang Island earlier this year and illegally filmed members of the Jarawa tribe.
'We are questioning him and hotel staff to learn more about his movements and motives,' a police spokesperson said. A case has been filed under laws protecting aboriginal communities, and India's foreign ministry has informed the US embassy.
Caroline Pearce, director of Survival International, criticised the incident. 'This person's actions not only endangered his own life but could have devastated the tribe,' she said, citing the tribe's lack of immunity to common diseases.
It remains unclear whether the offerings left by Polyakov were retrieved or removed.
The Sentinelese are believed to number around 150 and maintain a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, resisting all outside contact. Their hostility to outsiders has been widely documented.
American evangelical missionary John Allen Chau was killed by the Sentinelese tribe, In November 2018, on North Sentinel Island after attempting to make contact and preach Christianity, despite the island being prohibited to outsiders.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
20 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Five terrorists killed in K-P's Hangu, say police
Listen to article At least five terrorists were killed during a security operation in Hangu's Zargari area on Saturday, local officials said. The joint operation was carried out by police and other law enforcement agencies after receiving intelligence about terrorists present in the area, Express News reported. A fierce exchange of gunfire took place, during which Hangu District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Khalid Khan and Doaba SHO Nabi Khan were injured, along with one officer from the security forces. DPO was reported to be in stable condition. He was initially moved to Kohat and is expected to be airlifted to Peshawar. Regional Police Officer (RPO) Kohat Abbas Majid Marwat accompanied him. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed contacted the injured officers to inquire after their health. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a telephonic conversation with DPO, who was injured during an operation against the Indian-sponsored proxy 'Fitna Al-Hindustan.' He inquired about his condition and commended his bravery and leadership. 'Under your command, the police team displayed immense courage and eliminated five terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan,' he said. He lauded the entire Hangu police team for their successful operation and described their action as a significant blow to terrorism. Naqvi also offered prayers for the swift recovery of DPO and SHO, who was also injured in the operation. 'You are the pride of the nation. We are proud of you,' he added.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
FO reaffirms zero-tolerance stance on terrorism
Pakistan has reiterated its zero-tolerance stance against terrorism and emphasised its pivotal role in global counter-terrorism efforts. Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to international cooperation and has played a crucial role in the fight against terrorism, as evidenced by the apprehension of Sharifullah, the mastermind behind the Abbey Gate bombing, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement issued on Friday. The statement also addressed the ongoing investigations into the Pahalgam incident, which occurred in the disputed region of Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The FO rejected any claims linking the incident to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a defunct organisation that was banned in Pakistan years ago. The FO stressed that Pakistan has successfully dismantled such outfits, arrested and prosecuted their leadership, and effectively deradicalised their cadres. The statement further highlighted India's tendency to exploit designations of terrorist groups to promote anti-Pakistan narratives. It noted that this tactic often serves to divert international attention from India's ongoing human rights abuses, particularly in IIOJK. "While the issue under consideration pertains to US domestic laws, India has a track record of exploiting such designations to push anti-Pakistan propaganda with a view to divert international attention from its irresponsible and rogue behavior," the statement read. It added that Pakistan remains a counter-terrorism bulwark, having made unparalleled sacrifices in the global fight against extremism. The FO called on the international community to adopt objective, non-discriminatory policies in addressing terrorism, stressing the need for collective global action against all terrorist organizations. In this regard, Pakistan urged the inclusion of the Majeed Brigade as an alias of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in the list of designated terrorist organisations, the statement concluded.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
AI 'nudify' apps blackmailing minors rising in number
After a Kentucky teenager died by suicide this year, his parents discovered he had received threatening texts demanding $3,000 to suppress an AI-generated nude image of him, reports AFP. The tragedy underscores how so-called sextortion scams targeting children are growing around the world, particularly with the rapid proliferation of "nudify" apps — AI tools that digitally strip off clothing or generate sexualised imagery. Elijah Heacock, 16, was just one of thousands of American minors targeted by such digital blackmail, which has spurred calls for more action from tech platforms and regulators. His parents told US media that the text messages ordered him to pay up or an apparently AI-generated nude photo would be sent to his family and friends. "The people that are after our children are well organised," John Burnett, the boy's father, said in a CBS News interview. "They are well financed, and they are relentless. They don't need the photos to be real, they can generate whatever they want, and then they use it to blackmail the child." US investigators were looking into the case, which comes as nudify apps — which rose to prominence targeting celebrities — are being increasingly weaponised against children. The FBI has reported a "horrific increase" in sextortion cases targeting US minors, with victims typically males between the ages of 14 and 17. The threat has led to an "alarming number of suicides," the agency warned. In a recent survey, Thorn, a non-profit focused on preventing online child exploitation, found that six per cent of American teens have been a direct victim of deepfake nudes. "Reports of fakes and deepfakes — many of which are generated using these 'nudifying' services — seem to be closely linked with reports of financial sextortion, or blackmail with sexually explicit images," the British watchdog Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said in a report last year. "Perpetrators no longer need to source intimate images from children because images that are convincing enough to be harmful — maybe even as harmful as real images in some cases — can be produced using generative AI." The IWF identified one "pedophile guide" developed by predators that explicitly encouraged perpetrators to use nudifying tools to generate material to blackmail children. The author of the guide claimed to have successfully blackmailed some 13-year-old girls. The tools are a lucrative business. A new analysis of 85 websites selling nudify services found they may be collectively worth up to USD36 million a year.
