Indian plane passengers held in France over trafficking fear set to return

A plane with 303 Indian passengers detained near Paris over suspicions of human trafficking was due to leave on Monday for Mumbai, French judicial officials said.

The Airbus A340 with Indian passengers onboard was headed to Nicaragua when it was detained at Vatry airport, 150 kilometres (95 miles) east of Paris, when it arrived on Thursday from Dubai for refuelling, after an anonymous tip-off that it was carrying potential victims of human trafficking.

After questioning the passengers for two days, French prosecutors on Sunday gave the go-ahead for the plane to leave.

On Monday, the local prefecture confirmed that the plane would indeed take off "but not before noon".

Liliana Bakayoko, a lawyer for the airline operating the plane, said the aircraft would fly to Mumbai. It had obtained the necessary clearances and was now waiting for a departure time.

Local authorities said they expected a dozen or more of the passengers to decline further travel, instead applying for asylum in France.

Others protested at the decision to fly to India, saying they demanded to be flown to Nicaragua as promised.

The aircraft was still parked on the tarmac Monday morning, a reporter said, but a gangway has been fitted which would allow passengers to re-board. Passengers were beginning to gather at the departure gate, the reporter said.

A source close to the inquiry said 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.

Two suspects likely to be indicted

The passengers of the flight, operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, were put up at the airport during the investigation.

Beds, toilets and showers were installed, the local prefecture said, while police have prevented press and outsiders from entering the airport.

The passengers included 11 unaccompanied minors, according to Paris prosecutors.

Two passengers were 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."

The two were to be taken before a judge on Monday and could be charged with conspiring to help undocumented foreigners enter the country, as well as membership in a criminal gang, prosecutors said.

Twelve of the passengers have requested asylum, a source close to the case said.

The Indian embassy in Paris on 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."

The authorisation for the plane to leave came after a French court ruled that any further detention of three of the passengers would be illegal.

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.