India has granted consular access to the passengers on board the flight. (Representative)
New Delhi:
French police have arrested two men on suspicion of “human trafficking” a day after a plane carrying over 300 Indian passengers bound for Nicaragua was grounded. Indian authorities are also on site and are investigating the situation.
Here are 10 updates on the big story:
France on Friday suspended a charter flight carrying 303 Indian passengers to Nicaragua pending a judicial investigation.
The Airbus A340 of the Romanian charter company Legend Airlines had flown in from the United Arab Emirates and landed at Vatry airport in eastern France for a technical stopover.
After an anonymous tip that some of the passengers on board were “victims of human trafficking,” authorities intervened and grounded the plane, the Paris prosecutor said.
Two men have been arrested and are being questioned by an organized crime unit.
India has been granted consular access to the passengers on board the flight and officials are on site to investigate and ensure the passengers' welfare.
“The French authorities have informed us that a plane carrying 303 people, mostly of Indian origin, from Dubai to Nicaragua was detained at a French airport due to a technical stop for the welfare of the passengers,” the Indian embassy in France said in a post on X .
According to the AFP news agency, officials suspect that the passengers may have planned to travel to Central America to attempt illegal entry into the United States or Canada.
After landing in France, they were initially accommodated on the plane, but then let out and given single beds in the terminal building. “The reception hall at Vatry Airport has been converted into a waiting area with single beds in order to offer passengers the best possible reception conditions,” the prefect's office said.
The 303 Indians spent the night at the airport and officials have not yet given any information about when they will be allowed to fly out.
The border police can initially detain a foreigner for up to four days if they land in France and are prevented from traveling on to their intended destination. Under French law, this period can be extended to eight days if a judge authorizes it, then in exceptional cases by a further eight days, up to a maximum of 26 days.
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