Mumbai-Bound Aircraft with Over 300 Passengers to Land After French Detention on Human Trafficking Suspicion
Mumbai, 25th December 2023: A plane carrying over 300 passengers, primarily Indians, is anticipated to touch down at Mumbai airport on Monday afternoon, marking the end of a three-day detention by French authorities over suspicions of human trafficking. The aircraft, an A340 operated by Romania’s Legend Airlines, is scheduled to land at approximately 2:30 pm.
The aircraft had been detained at Vatry airport near Paris, where it took off before its unexpected grounding. The flight, originating from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and destined for Nicaragua, was halted at Vatry airport on Thursday amid concerns of potential ‘human trafficking.’
On Sunday, four French judges conducted hearings with the detained passengers as part of an investigation initiated by the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, focusing on suspicions of human trafficking. Reports from French media suggest that among the passengers, some communicated in Hindi while others spoke Tamil.
Despite initially approving the plane for departure, French judges opted to cancel the passengers’ hearings on Sunday due to identified irregularities in the procedural aspects. Notably, 11 minors on board the aircraft were unaccompanied, leading to the extension of the detention of two passengers held since Friday by an additional 48 hours, according to French prosecutors.
