Plane held for days in France on trafficking concerns lands in India
An official reported that a charter jet carrying 276 passengers, largely Indians, who had been grounded in France for four days due to suspected human trafficking, landed in Mumbai in the early hours of Tuesday.
Visuals from inside Mumbai airport of 276 passengers, who have returned from France. News18
According to the official, the plane, an Airbus A340, arrived in Mumbai just after 4 a.m. It took off about 2.30 p.m. local time from Vatry airport in Paris.
The plane had 276 passengers on board when it took off for Mumbai, according to French authorities, since 25 people, including two kids, had declared a desire to seek refuge and were still on French land. According to a French television outlet, two others were detained, brought before a court, and placed on aided witness status.
Visuals from inside Mumbai airport of 276 passengers, who have returned from France. News18
When the flight landed in Vatry airport, there were 11 unaccompanied minors among the 303 Indian passengers on board, a local official had said.
Makeshift beds were arranged for the stranded passengers, who were given access to toilets and showers and provided meals and hot drinks in the hall of Vatry airport, the official had said.
The flight, which was operated by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines and bound for Nicaragua, had landed at Vatry on Thursday for a technical stopover en route from Dubai when French police intervened.
French authorities launched a judicial investigation into the conditions and purpose of the trip, with a unit specialising in organised crime investigating suspected human trafficking.
Nicaragua has become a popular destination for those seeking asylum in the US. As many as 96,917 Indians attempted to enter the US illegally in the financial year 2023, signalling a 51.61 percent jump from the previous year, according to data made available by the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
At least 41,770 of those Indians attempted to enter the US via the Mexican land border, CBP data shows. Flights to Nicaragua or third countries where obtaining travel documents is easy have come to be known as ‘dunki’ flights.
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