PARIS – In a latest development, French authorities which seized the aircraft carrying over 300 Indian passengers on suspicions of human trafficking, permitted it to leave.
The aircraft had been detained at an airport in France since Thursday as the authorities came to know that there were unaccompanied kids on board. The plane was allowed to leave after a thorough probe into human trafficking allegations.
French prosecutors allowed the plane to leave the Vatry airport after questioning passengers for two days about allegations they may be victims of human trafficking.
The lawyer for Romania-based Legend Airlines said that most of the stranded passengers would be returning to India though authorities say some of the passengers have also requested asylum. The carrier claims that it has done nothing wrong, adding that it would seek damages for the ‘harm’ caused due to the incident.
The plane was Nicaragua-bound but stopped to refuel at Vatry en route from Fujairah Airport in the United Arab Emirates where it was seized. The authorities received an anonymous tip that it may be carrying trafficking victims, prompting them to confine passengers at the airport and depute judges and lawyers to conduct emergency hearings.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Paris said on Saturday that consular staff was working with French authorities for an “early resolution of the situation”.
It bears mentioning that the plane would fly to Mumbai instead of its earlier destination which worried some of the passengers though the authorities are investigating whether the passengers were to relocate to the US or Canada from Nicaragua or otherwise.
