France on Friday grounded a Nicaragua-bound plane carrying more than 300 Indian passengers over suspected “human trafficking”.
Following an anonymous tipoff, Paris prosecutors reported that the plane was detained on Thursday. It had taken off from the United Arab Emirates.
The prosecutor’s office said an anonymous tip signaled that the flight, operated by small Romania-based charter company Legend Airlines, was carrying people who could be victims of human trafficking. It was grounded Thursday after it stopped for refueling at the Vatry Airport east of Paris, a small airfield in the middle of Champagne country used primarily for charter and cargo flights.
The passengers and crew are sequestered in the small Vatry airport, where they will spend a second night Friday on camp cots while the investigation continues, according to an official with the Marne regional administration.
They initially remained in the A340 plane, surrounded by police on the tarmac, but were then transferred into the main hall of the airport to sleep Thursday night, the official said.
Investigators from a specialized French organized crime unit, border police and aviation gendarmes are working on the case.
Investigators from a specialized French organized crime unit, border police and aviation gendarmes are working on the case.
The Indian Embassy in France posted on X that embassy staff had obtained consular access to the passengers. “We are investigating the situation and ensuring the well-being of passengers.”
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