By Imtiaz Hussain Abro.
French authorities apprehended two men on Saturday following the grounding of a plane en route to Nicaragua, carrying over 300 Indian passengers, amid suspicions of “human trafficking” a day earlier.
As reported by NDTV, Indian officials have also arrived at the scene to conduct an investigation. The charter flight, transporting 303 Indian passengers to Nicaragua, was halted in France on Friday for a judicial inquiry. The Airbus A340, operated by the Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, had landed at Vatry airport in eastern France, 150 km from Paris, for a technical layover after arriving from the United Arab Emirates.
Authorities detained the plane based on an anonymous tip-off indicating that some passengers were “victims of human trafficking,” according to the Paris prosecutor. The arrested individuals are currently undergoing questioning by a unit specializing in organized crime, as reported by NDTV.
Liliana Bakayoko, claiming to be a lawyer for Legend Airlines, asserted that the company believed it had not committed any wrongdoing and was at the disposal of French authorities. However, she mentioned that the airline would take legal action if charges were filed by prosecutors.
Consular access has been granted to the Indian passengers, and officials from India have arrived to investigate and ensure the well-being of those on board, according to the Indian Embassy in France. Authorities suspect that the passengers may have intended to travel to Central America to attempt illegal entry into the United States or Canada.
Upon landing in France, passengers initially remained on the aircraft but were later allowed to disembark and provided individual beds in the terminal building. The prefect’s office stated that the reception hall at Vatry airport was transformed into a waiting area with individual beds to offer optimal reception conditions to the passengers.
Officials have not provided an update on when the foreign nationals can leave France. Border police can detain them for up to four days if they land in France and are prevented from continuing to their intended destination. With approval, this period can be extended to eight days, and in exceptional circumstances, up to 26 days.
