'Dunki' Flight Case: Gujarat Police To Probe Agents Who Made 'False Promises' To Passengers

The Gujarat Police will probe agents accused of making false promises to individuals who were in the plane, carrying 276 passengers, that was grounded in France for four days over suspected human trafficking.

Passengers of a charter plane, which was grounded in France for four days over suspected human trafficking, arrive in Mumbai, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023.

Source : PTI

The Gujarat Police, particularly the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID Crime), is set to launch a probe into agencies and agents accused of making false promises to individuals who were in the plane, carrying 276 passengers, primarily Indians, that was grounded in France for four days over suspected human trafficking. The Airbus A340 eventually landed in Mumbai in the early hours of Tuesday, having taken off from Vatry Airport near Paris.

There were 15 crew members on board, and immigration authorities inquired from some passengers upon arrival. No passengers were detained, and all 276 were allowed to leave the airport by 11.30 am, news agency PTI reported.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Sanjay Kharat, Superintendent of Police, CID Crime, revealed, "21 people among the passengers that have returned to India are from Gujarat. Once they arrive in Gujarat, our team will talk to them. We expect them to cooperate with the investigation. The agencies that they wanted to go through, the agents who made false promises."

"They (Passengers) may have had uncompleted documents and agencies may have forged documents also, so we need information on that. Once we receive information, we will take proper action against agencies that are involved in this," he added.

Despite media attempts to gather information from the passengers, they remained tight-lipped about their journey or the events of the past four days. Queries about reported interrogations at the airport went unanswered, PTI reported.

'Dunki' Flight Case And Illegal US Immigration

According to PTI's report, french authorities informed that the charter plane had 276 passengers when it departed for Mumbai, with 25 individuals, including two minors, who applied for asylum and wanted to remain on French soil. Two others were held, produced before a judge, and placed on assisted witness status.

The flight, operated by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, had landed in Vatry airport for a technical stopover en route from Dubai when French police intervened.

The stranded passengers were provided with makeshift beds, access to facilities, and meals during their stay at Vatry airport. French authorities launched a judicial investigation into the conditions and purpose of the trip, with a focus on suspected human trafficking, the report mentioned.

The incident sheds light on the growing trend of individuals attempting to enter the US illegally, with Nicaragua emerging as a popular destination for those seeking asylum.

In the financial year 2023, 96,917 Indians attempted to enter the US illegally, marking a 51.61% increase from the previous year, according to US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) data. Of these, 41,770 tried to enter via the Mexican land border. Flights to Nicaragua or other countries with lax travel document requirements are colloquially known as 'dunki' flights.

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