🔴 The French authorities have grounded a plane carrying 303 Indians which was travelling from United Arab Emirates to Nicaragua after receiving a tip that it could be carrying victims of human trafficking.
🔴 The flight, carried out by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines had landed at the small Vatry airport (150 km east of Paris) on Thursday afternoon for a technical stopover when police intervened, the Marne prefect’s office said in a statement.
🔴 The passengers initially remained in the A340 aircraft but were then transferred to the main hall of Vatry airport and given individual beds to sleep. The entire airport was cordoned off by police.
🔴 According to a report in the newspaper ‘Le Monde, the national anti-organised crime unit JUNALCO has taken over the investigation.
🔴 All those aboard are being questioned by the special investigators and two people have been taken into custody pending further examination, a statement by the Paris prosecutor's office said
🔴 Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in France said that their staff had obtained consular access to the passengers.
🔴 “French authorities informed us of a plane w/ 303 people, mostly Indian origin, from Dubai to Nicaragua detained on a technical halt at a French airport. Embassy team has reached & obtained consular access. We are investigating the situation, also ensuring wellbeing of passengers,” the Indian embassy said in a post on X.
🔴 Legend Airlines has yet to comment on the incident.
🔴 Liliana Bakayoko, identified as a Legend Airlines lawyer, said on France's BFM television that the company denies any role in eventual human trafficking.
🔴 According to Bakayoko, a customer, whom she wouldn't identify, chartered the plane and was responsible for verifying the identity documents of each passenger.The customer communicated the passenger information to the airline 48 hours before the flight, she said.