Plane With Indians Reaches Mumbai But Without 25 Who Sought Asylum In France
The plane made a technical stopover en route from Dubai when French police intervened and it was It was stopped from leaving the Chalons-Vatry Airport due to suspected human trafficking.
A plane carrying hundreds of passengers, mostly Indians, that was grounded in France over suspected human trafficking, landed in Mumbai in the early hours of Tuesday, reported BBC. The charted Airbus A-340 aircraft with 303 passengers was headed to Nicaragua but was grounded "on a technical halt" last week by authorities at the Vatry airport in France.
The flight was headed from Dubai to Nicaragua, the report added. According to BBC, the plane left with 276 passengers but 25 people including two minors remained in France after applying for asylum.
On Monday, the Indian Embassy in France thanked the French government and the Vatry Airport authorities for their hospitality and quick resolution of the situation that allowed Indian passengers to return home.
"Thank French Gov and Vatry Airport for quick resolution of the situation enabling Indian passengers to return home & hospitality. Also for working closely with embassy team, present throughout at the site to ensure welfare and smooth & safe return. Thank agencies in India, too," the Indian Embassy in France said on X.
Thank French Gov and Vatry Airport for quick resolution of the situation enabling Indian passengers to return home & hospitality.
— India in France (@IndiaembFrance) December 25, 2023
Also for working closely with embassy team, present throughout at the site to ensure welfare and smooth & safe return.
Thank agencies in India, too.
"Continue to work with French Gov for the welfare of the Indians currently at the Varty airport, 150 km East of Paris, & for early resolution of the situation. Embassy consular staff stationed there. Thank French authorities for working on this through the long holiday weekend," the Indian Embassy further said.
Why Was Plane Grounded In France
The Legend Airlines flight, operated by a Romanian company, landed at Vatry on Thursday for a technical stopover en route from Dubai when French police intervened. It was stopped from leaving the Chalons-Vatry Airport in France after authorities received an anonymous tip-off that some passengers might be "victims of human trafficking", BBC said citing Parisian prosecutors.
Most passengers onboard were Indians working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A third of them are from Gujarat, the report added.
What Happened After Plane Was Grounded
Once the plane was grounded, authorities rushed to confirm the tip-off they had received. The French authorities launched a judicial probe into the conditions and purpose of the trip, with a unit specialising in organised crime investigating suspected human trafficking.
On Sunday, the airport became a makeshift courtroom, and French judges questioned the detained passengers as part of the investigation into suspected human trafficking. After authorising the plane to leave, the judges canceled the hearings on Sunday due to irregularities in the procedure, as per PTI's report.
Airline's Stance On Matter
According to the airline's lawyer, Liliana Bakayoko, 26 passengers remain in France, and two were brought before a judge. Bakayoko mentioned that some passengers were reluctant to return, particularly those aiming to continue their journey to Nicaragua. "Some of the passengers would be unhappy with this return because they wanted to continue their journey to Nicaragua as planned," reported French news network BFMTV, as per PTI.
The lawyer expressed relief at the departure and noted that the company would cooperate with investigators, seeking damages due to significant harm suffered. The airline's lawyer denied involvement in trafficking, stating that a partner company responsible for chartering the plane verified passengers' identity documents and communicated passport information 48 hours before the flight. Human trafficking carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in France, PTI reported.
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