303 Indians stranded in France set to depart today, but destination still unknown | 10 things to know

A plane with , suspected of human trafficking, detained near , is set to leave on Monday, according to French judicial officials, reported. 1. The Airbus A340, en route to Nicaragua, was held at Vatry airport after an anonymous tip-off upon its arrival from Dubai for refuelling.

The destination of the plane remains unclear, reported. 2. The local prefecture said in a statement, “After questioning the passengers for two days, prosecutors on Sunday gave the go-ahead for the plane to leave, and full approval for its departure is expected Monday.

” 3. While the initial statement did not specify the destination, Francois Procureur, the head of the local bar association, revealed during a press conference that the passengers are expected to be flown to India. A source close to the inquiry told that the Indians were likely workers in the United Arab Emirates who had been bound for Nicaragua as a jumping-off spot for the United States or Canada.

Also Read: 4. During the investigation, passengers on the flight, which was operated by the Romanian company Legend Airlines, were accommodated at the airport. The local prefecture reported the installation of beds, toilets, and showers for their stay.

Additionally, police restricted access to the airport, preventing press and outsiders from entering. Also Read: 5. reported that two passengers have been detained since Friday “to verify whether their role may have been different than the others in this transport, and under what conditions and with what objectives”.

Twelve of the passengers have requested asylum, a source close to the case said. 6. The 30 crew members were not detained.

Some handled the Dubai-Vatry leg and others were to take over for the flight to Managua. According to Flightradar24, Legend Airlines has just four planes. Also Read: 7.

According to , citing French media, it was reported that certain passengers on the flight spoke Hindi, while others spoke Tamil, and they are presumed to have communicated with their families via telephone. 8. carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in France.

As per French prosecutors, the aircraft comprises 11 unaccompanied minors, and two passengers who have been in custody since Friday had their detention extended for up to 48 hours on Saturday evening. The plane is owned by the Romanian charter company Legend Airlines. Liliana Bakayoko, a lawyer representing the firm, refuted any involvement in the trafficking.

Also Read: 9. A “partner” company that chartered the plane was responsible for verifying the identity documents of each passenger, and communicated the passengers’ passport information to the airline 48 hours before the flight, Bakayoko said. 10.

The Indian embassy in Paris Saturday posted on X that “embassy consular staff” were on site to work with French authorities “for the welfare” of detained passengers for an “early resolution of the situation”. “Thank French authorities for working on this through the long holiday weekend,” it further added. (With inputs from agencies) Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world to know more.

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