Port Blair:
A US nationwide was arrested in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for allegedly getting into the prohibited tribal reserve space of the North Sentinel Island, police mentioned on Wednesday.
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov (24), arrested by the CID on March 31, had allegedly entered the North Sentinel Island with none authorisation, they mentioned.
He arrived in Port Blair on March 26 and ventured to North Sentinel Island from the Kurma Dera seashore, they mentioned.
He launched his boat from Kurma Dera seashore round 1 am on March 29, carrying a coconut and a can of cola as “choices for the Sentinelese”, police mentioned.
Polyakov reached the northeastern shore of North Sentinel Island by 10 am. Utilizing binoculars, he surveyed the world however noticed no inhabitants, they mentioned.
He remained offshore for an hour, blowing a whistle to draw consideration, however obtained no response.
He landed briefly for about 5 minutes, left the choices on the shore, collected sand samples, and recorded a video earlier than returning to his boat, police mentioned.
At 1 pm, he began his return journey and reached Kurma Dera Seashore by 7 pm, the place he was noticed by native fishermen, they mentioned.
DGP HS Dhaliwal instructed PTI, “We’re getting extra particulars about him and his intention to go to the reserved tribal space. We’re additionally looking for the place else he had visited throughout his keep within the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We’re questioning the lodge workers the place he was staying in Port Blair.” Among the many gadgets seized from him had been an inflatable boat and an outboard motor or OBM, which he had assembled at an area workshop.
Police mentioned he had deliberate his journey meticulously — carried out analysis on sea situations, tides, and accessibility from the Kurma Dera seashore.
He used GPS navigation all through his voyage, they mentioned.
Polyakov, whose father is of Ukrainian origin, was present in possession of a GoPro digicam, and its footage confirmed him touchdown on North Sentinel Island, police mentioned.
He’s at current in police custody on the course of a courtroom for additional interrogation.
Police mentioned this was not his first go to to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
He visited Port Blair in October final yr and tried reconnaissance for North Sentinel Island utilizing an inflatable kayak, however was stopped by lodge workers.
He additionally got here to the islands in January this yr, and had tried to acquire a motor for his boat. Throughout that go to, he went to Baratang Islands, and allegedly illegally videographed the Jarawa tribe, police mentioned.
An FIR was registered in opposition to him underneath the Foreigners Act, 1946, together with sections of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Safety of Aboriginal Tribes) Modification Regulation, 2012, on the idea of a grievance lodged on the Ograbraj police station by the Tribal Welfare Officer of Tirur, Pronab Sircar.
Intimation about his arrest was communicated to the Residence Division for additional communication to the Ministry of Exterior Affairs and the US Embassy, police mentioned.
The Sentinelese, who inhabit the North Sentinel Island, are designated as a very weak tribal group. They belong to the broader class of Andamanese individuals.
They’re hostile to outsiders and have killed individuals who approached or landed on the island.
American missionary John Chau was killed in November 2018 when he tried to contact the Sentinelese, thought of the world’s final pre-Neolithic tribe.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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