An American tourist was arrested after setting foot on an island where foreigners are prohibited from traveling within 5 kilometers. The tourist was carrying coconuts and diet cola for the tribe.

Indian police revealed that they arrested the 24-year-old Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, who secretly entered the restricted area of North Sentinel, part of India’s Andaman Islands, with the intention of meeting the Sentinel community, which is believed to number only around 150 and untouched by the industrial world, bringing coconuts and diet cola. According to The Guardian newspaper, the indigenous tribe bans all foreigners from traveling within 5 kilometers of the island to protect them from diseases and preserve their way of life. HGS Dhaliwal, the police chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, stated to AFP that the American citizen was presented before a local court and is currently being held in custody for questioning for three days. Satellites show that the island is surrounded by coral reefs extending approximately 9.6 kilometers at its widest, with dense forests and white sandy beaches.

The Sentinelese made international headlines last in 2018 when they killed 27-year-old American missionary John Allen Chau, who had illegally ventured onto their shores. Chau’s body was never recovered, and no investigation into his death was conducted due to India’s law banning access to the island. India views the vast Andaman and Nicobar Islands strategically, as they lie closer to Myanmar than the Indian mainland, situated on key global shipping routes.