French Court Releases Flight, Plane Lands in Mumbai

The plane had landed at the Châlons Vatry airport, 150 kilometers from Paris, to refuel last Friday. Among the passengers on the plane were 11 unaccompanied children.

Staff Reporter

Dec 26, 2023, 07:57 AM2 min read

French Court Releases Flight, Plane Lands in Mumbai

French customs officers at the Vatry airport in north-eastern France on December 25, 2023, with an Airbus A340 in the background which was grounded on the tarmac since December 21 over suspected "human trafficking".

A flight bound for Nicaragua was detained at an airport in France by the French authorities on charges of human trafficking. It was earlier reported that most of the 303 passengers on the chartered flight were Indians. On Sunday, a French court ruled to release the plane. After several tests the plane left for India from France's Châlons Vatry airport on Monday afternoon. The flight landed at Mumbai airport at 4 am on Tuesday.

According to the sources of the French administration, initially the plane was supposed to fly to India at 10 am local time in France, but the plane left France at 3 pm. A total of 27 passengers, including two children, stayed in France. According to a source, they sought refuge in France for security reasons. Some of the passengers wanted to go to their destination Nicaragua. Later, many people were unhappy because the destination of the plane was changed.

The plane had landed at the Châlons Vatry airport, 150 kilometers from Paris, to refuel last Friday. Among the passengers on the plane were 11 unaccompanied children. The French authorities suspect that they are being taken to Nicaragua for smuggling purposes. It was immediately decided to intercept the aircraft. Accommodation is provided at the airport premises for stranded passengers.

News agency AFP quoted a source as saying that the Indian passengers on the plane worked in the United Arab Emirates. They were trying to get to America or Canada via Nicaragua on a plane belonging to the Romanian company Legend Airlines. The airline is also unhappy with the incident. They claimed that they only arranged for transportation in that flight. They don't know anything about human trafficking. The company's lawyer also warned of counter legal action if the French government takes any action against the company.

However, France's organized crime branch, Junalco, has launched an investigation into whether any criminal gangs are linked to the plane. In France, a person convicted of human trafficking carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.