An Airbus A340 carrying 303 passengers, primarily Indian nationals, finally departed France for Mumbai late Monday after being grounded at a Paris airport over suspected human trafficking links. The journey home for these passengers came after hours of confusion and delays, amidst reports of disagreements about their destination and legal uncertainties.Earlier on French TV channel, Liliana Bakayoko, legal counsel for Romanias Legend Airlines, who operated the plane, spoke of the conflicting desires of some passengers. He said, The situation is confusing, she said. Some of the passengers were unhappy... because they wanted to continue their journey to Nicaragua as planned.Thank French Gov and Vatry Airport for quick resolution of the situation enabling Indian passengers to return home & hospitality.Also for working closely with embassy team, present throughout at the site to ensure welfare and smooth & safe return.Thank agencies in India, too.— India in France (@IndiaembFrance) December 25, 2023Bakayoko initially claimed that 200-250 passengers had consented to the Mumbai flight, excluding those in police custody or seeking asylum in France. Legal detainment and asylum requestsAt least two passengers were not authorized to leave France and were reportedly detained. However, the details remain unknown but speculation is that they potentially faced charges related to facilitating the illegal entry of undocumented individuals. Meanwhile, twelve passengers sought asylum, and their status remained unclear.Human trafficking concerns and investigationThe Nicaragua-bound Airbus A340 from Dubai was stopped at the airport near Paris for refuelling when a tip-off raised concerns about potential human trafficking involving the passengers. Authorities claimed that the plane could be part of a smuggling operation aiming to bring people into the United States via Nicaragua. Frances anti-organized crime unit, JUNALCO was leading the investigation.
