Plane Grounded For In France Over Human Trafficking Suspicion Leaves For India After Four Days

A plane carrying 303 Indian passengers, which had been grounded in France for four days on suspicion of human trafficking, departed for Mumbai on Monday, December 25, after receiving clearance from French authorities.

The Airbus A340, en route to Nicaragua, was held at Vatry airport, east of Paris, following an anonymous tip that it might be transporting potential victims of human trafficking. Of the original passengers, 276 were on board when the plane took off just before 3:00 pm.

Two passengers were initially detained by French police over suspected people trafficking, but they were released after it was determined that all 303 passengers had boarded voluntarily. The release of the suspects was attributed to the investigating judge resisting media pressure, as mentioned by their lawyer, Salome Cohen.

The remaining 25 individuals, including two minors, who stayed back have applied for asylum in France, and their applications will be processed at Charles-de-Gaulle airport. Throughout the investigation, the passengers, including 11 unaccompanied minors, were accommodated at the airport with beds, toilets, and showers, while police restricted access to outsiders and the press.

The Indian embassy in Paris collaborated with French authorities to ensure the welfare of the detained passengers and a swift resolution of the situation. The plane’s authorization to leave came after a French court deemed further detention of three passengers illegal.

The 30 crew members, associated with Romanian company Legend Airlines, were not detained, with some handling the Dubai-Vatry leg and others preparing for the flight to Managua. Legend Airlines, as per Flightradar24, operates just four planes.

Parvasi Media Group