Indian police have arrested an American tourist for allegedly travelling to a remote island to visit one of the world's most isolated tribes. The island, North Sentinel, is part of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, around 1,200 km east of the Indian subcontinent. It is approximately 60 square kilometres in size. North Sentinel is a protected area and home to the Sentinelese people, an indigenous tribe who have fiercely defended their isolation from the outside world. The tourist made the prohibited journey to the island. He did not make contact with the islanders, but he did leave them a can of Diet Coke and a coconut. He could face up to five years in prison.

The Indian government has barred outsiders from visiting North Sentinel Island. This is to protect the unique Sentinelese way of life. It is also to shield the inhabitants from modern illnesses. A spokeswoman for a non-profit group that protects isolated tribes said: "It's very well known that uncontacted peoples have no immunity to common outside diseases like flu or measles, which could completely wipe them out." Survival International said the Sentinelese are "the most isolated indigenous people in the world." In the past few decades, the islanders have killed several people who have attempted to visit the island. The recently arrested tourist described himself as a "thrill seeker".