276 Indians were on board a charter aircraft that was grounded in France on Monday as part of an investigation into human trafficking, according to officials. The passengers experienced a remarkable holiday trip when they were stranded inside a tiny French airport for four days, despite their intended destination being Nicaragua.
After the crew and passengers boarded the aircraft, Associated Press reporters outside the Vatry Airport in Champagne country witnessed the unmarked Legend Airlines A340 take off.
Of the 303 people, the regional authorities stated that 276 were traveling to Mumbai and that the remaining 25 had applied for refuge in France. According to the report, those who persisted were moved to a designated area at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris for asylum seekers.
Several unaccompanied adolescents and a youngster aged 21 months were among the passengers who were forced to land in France.
The Paris prosecutor’s office reported that the two passengers who were left were freed on Monday following their appearance before a judge, having previously been held as part of an inquiry into human trafficking. Assisting witnesses, according to French law, is a special status that grants time for additional investigation and may result in charges later on or the case being withdrawn. The judge designated them as such.
The Legend Airlines A340 airliner was grounded by authorities on Thursday as it made a stop in Vatry, United Arab Emirates, for refueling while en way to Managua, Nicaragua. The tip came from an anonymous source suggesting that the plane might be carrying victims of human trafficking.
Regarding whether the passengers’ final destination might have been the United States, which has experienced an increase in Indians crossing the Mexico–U.S. border this year, the prosecutors would not comment.
The prosecutor’s office stated that in addition to investigating the purpose of the first flight, French officials have launched a legal investigation into the actions of an organized criminal gang that assists foreign nationals in entering or residing in the nation illegally.
The U.N. defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit.” It did not clarify on Monday whether such trafficking is still suspected.
In France, a transit zone may hold foreign nationals for up to four days while police conduct an investigation. A special judge will then have to decide whether to prolong this period to eight days.
Some guests didn’t want to travel to India since they had already paid for a vacation to Nicaragua, according to Legend Airlines attorney Liliana Bakayoko. The airline has disclaimed any involvement in any potential human trafficking.
Nicaragua is one of the nations that the US government has identified as not meeting the requirements necessary to end human trafficking. Because other countries have low or no entrance criteria requiring a visa, Nicaragua has also been used as a migratory springboard for persons fleeing poverty or conflict. On occasion, the trip is made using charter flights.