France halts flight with 303 Indian passengers over suspected human trafficking

A plane en route to Nicaragua from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 303 Indian passengers on board has been detained in France on suspicion of "human trafficking," according to statements from French authorities reported by local media on Friday.

According to a ‘Le Monde’ newspaper report, the national anti-organised crime unit JUNALCO has taken over the investigation. Special investigators are questioning all those aboard and two people are in custody pending further examination, the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
The prefecture in the northeastern department of Marne has reported that an A340, operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, remains grounded on the tarmac at Vatry airport since its landing on Thursday. Vatry airport, situated 150 kilometers east of Paris, primarily caters to budget airlines.

According to a newspaper report, the prefecture mentioned that the plane, scheduled for refueling, carried 303 Indian nationals, likely employed in the UAE. Following its arrival in France, the passengers were initially kept on board but were later allowed off the plane and provided individual beds within the terminal building. The entire airport has been cordoned off by police.

Investigators from a specialised French organised crime unit, border police and aviation gendarmes are working on the case. Legend Airlines is yet to comment on the incident. Menwhile, the Indian embassy in Paris on Friday said French authorities informed it that a flight with mostly Indian origin people that was going to Nicaragua from Dubai has been detained on a technical halt at a French airport.

The embassy was informed that the flight had 303 people. French authorities informed us of a plane w/ 303 people, mostly Indian origin, from Dubai to Nicaragua detained on a technical halt at a French airport, the Indian mission said in a post on X.