Plane grounded in France with Indians over human trafficking lands in Mumbai

An Airbus A340 charter plane, carrying 276 passengers predominantly of Indian nationality, which had been grounded in France for four days due to suspected human trafficking concerns, finally touched down in Mumbai in the early hours of Tuesday, as per an official statement. The aircraft completed its journey by landing in Mumbai shortly after 4 am, following its departure from Vatry airport near Paris at around 2:30 pm local time.

According to French authorities, the plane had 276 passengers on board when it took off for Mumbai, as 25 persons, including two minors, had expressed the wish to apply for asylum and were still on French soil. Two others were held and produced before a judge , who were brought before a judge, were released and placed on assisted witness status, a French news channel said.

Upon the flight's arrival at Vatry airport, a local official reported that among the 303 Indian passengers on board, there were 11 unaccompanied minors. To accommodate the stranded passengers, makeshift beds were set up, and they were granted access to restroom and shower facilities. Additionally, meals and hot drinks were provided to the passengers in the hall of Vatry airport, according to the official.

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).