A plane with mostly Indian passengers got stuck near Paris because people thought there might be human trafficking involved. Now, a French court has said the plane can leave today. But its unclear if it Is going back to India.
The special plane going to Nicaragua with 303 passengers, mostly from India which includes at least 11 kids traveling alone had to stop at Vatry airport from Dubai for fuel, but anonymous tip said there might be human trafficking, so it got stuck.
After two days of questioning, the French authorities said the plane can leave, as mentioned by the local prefecture. We’re waiting for full approval today.
The head of the local bar group, Francois Procureur, said in a meeting that the passengers are going back to India. But the local prefecture didn’t say where exactly, and Indian officials haven’t confirmed it yet.
The plane stuck in France is expected to leave around 10 am, as per Liliana Bakayoko, the lawyer for the company Legend Airlines. It’s probably going to Mumbai with around 200-250 passengers. Those not in trouble and not asking for protection will leave, as per the info.
French courts can keep foreigners in detention. Four judges asked passengers questions, but some hearings got canceled because things were not done right after letting the plane go. French media say some spoke Hindi, and some spoke Tamil.
These Indians might have been working in the UAE, trying to get to the US or Canada, says a source. They got stopped at Vatry, which is about 150 km from Paris, a place that mostly serves budget airlines.
The Indian embassy in France said they can now talk to the passengers and are checking things out. They’re working with the French government to help the stuck Indian passengers.
The passengers stuck at Vatry got beds, toilets, showers, food, and drinks, according to an official. Reports say about four dozen passengers even asked for protection.
The Legend Airlines lawyer said they didn’t do anything wrong, and they’re ready to help the French authorities. They might ask for money from their client because of the big problems caused.
