A plane carrying 303 Indian passengers that was supposed to connect the United Arab Emirates with Nicaragua has been grounded in France since Thursday on suspicion of “human trafficking,” state authorities and the Paris prosecutor's office said on Friday, launching an investigation.
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This immobilization follows “an anonymous report” that this plane was “carrying Indian passengers (…) who were probably victims of human trafficking,” the Paris prosecutor's office told AFP.
These Indian passengers may want to fly to Central America and then try to enter the US or Canada illegally, according to a source familiar with the matter, who said the plane stopped to refuel in France.
An investigation is underway “to check whether anything corroborates the suspicion of human trafficking by an organized gang, a crime punishable by 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of three million euros,” the prosecutor's office added.
“Hearings and reviews of the conditions and objectives of passenger transport” are underway, the indictment says.
The Prefecture of Marne (Northeast) stated that this flight of the Romanian airline Legend Airlines “remained immobilized on the tarmac of Vatry airport after its landing (Thursday) in the afternoon” and that there was an intervention by the Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade on the plank.
The prefecture confirmed to AFP that the plane was still on the ground on Friday afternoon.