Paris, December 25: After being detained by French authorities for three days on suspicion of “human trafficking,” a flight bound for Nicaragua carrying 303 passengers, predominantly Indians, has been permitted to resume its journey, as reported by local media on Sunday.
Following the authorization for the A340 aircraft, operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, to depart, French judges opted to cancel the hearings for the over 300 passengers due to irregularities in the procedure, according to BFM TV, a French news broadcast television and radio network.
Earlier on the same day, four French judges had initiated questioning for the passengers detained at the Vatry airport, located 150 km east of Paris. The investigation was launched by the Paris prosecutor’s office on suspicion of human trafficking.
The plane is scheduled to take off on Monday morning, and its destination remains uncertain. It could head to India, the home country of the passengers, Nicaragua, its original destination, or Dubai, from where it initially departed.
Reports suggest that some passengers spoke Hindi and others Tamil, and they have reportedly contacted their families by telephone. Ten of the passengers have requested asylum, according to a source close to the case.
The aircraft, owned by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, includes 11 unaccompanied minors. Two passengers have been in custody since Friday, and their detention was extended on Saturday evening for up to 48 hours, according to French prosecutors.
Liliana Bakayoko, a lawyer for Legend Airlines, denied any involvement in trafficking, stating that a “partner” company responsible for chartering the plane verified the identity documents of each passenger and communicated the passport information to the airline 48 hours before the flight.
Human trafficking in France carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years. India’s embassy in France had staff stationed at the airport near Paris to ensure the welfare of Indian nationals during their detention, as confirmed in an updated message on social media. The embassy expressed gratitude to French authorities for working over the long Christmas holiday weekend toward an “early resolution” of the situation.
Reports suggest that the travel plans of the Indian passengers may have aimed to reach Central America, potentially with intentions to enter the United States or Canada illegally. An anonymous tip, indicating that the passengers were “likely to be victims of human trafficking” in an organized gang, alerted the authorities to the situation.
