An American YouTuber accused of visiting the isolated Sentinelese tribe on North Sentinel Island and leaving a can of Diet Coke has been denied bail and remains in custody. Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 25, was arrested in March 2025 after allegedly spending about an hour on the island, which is strictly off-limits to outsiders.
Police say Polyakov filmed the stunt for his YouTube channel, blowing a whistle to attract the tribe's attention. He left a can of Coke and a coconut as an 'offering' and collected sand samples before returning to his boat. Local fishermen reported him to authorities, leading to his arrest in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Polyakov faces charges of entering a prohibited tribal reserve area and breaking Indian laws that forbid contact with the Sentinelese. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 29.
Investigators revealed that Polyakov had made two previous attempts to reach the island, including one using an inflatable kayak, and had researched sea conditions and tides. Police stated that his actions posed a serious threat to the Sentinelese, whose isolation is legally protected to preserve their indigenous way of life.
Polyakov, who posted under the name 'Neo-Orientalist', has previously undertaken other risky stunts, such as visiting the Taliban. The Sentinelese have lived on the island for up to 60,000 years and are known to be hostile to outsiders, having killed intruders in the past, including American missionary John Allen Chau in 2018.
