The plane that carried 303 passengers of Indian nationality bound for Nicaragua continues to be immobilized at a French airport due to suspicions of human trafficking, in a case in which two people were detained and for which the authorities will begin interrogations this Sunday (12/24/2023).
The French authorities will begin in the next few hours a three-day series of passenger hearings before four judgesexpressly taken to the airport, to interrogate the passengers and determine if they can continue to be detained, indicated the regional newspaper L’Union.
The administrative retention of these people can last up to 96 hours, a period that can be extended with a court decision, explained sources close to the investigation.
Airport was confined
The airfield has been confined, which has forced flights scheduled for yesterday and today to be diverted, and passengers are temporarily housed in the facility’s entrance hall.
The device, an Airbus A340 of the Romanian company Legend Airlines, landed around 1500 CET on Thursday at Chalons-Vatry airport, about 140 kilometers east of Paris, for a technical stopover on its way from the United Arab Emirates (USA) to Managua, according to the authorities.
The authorities intervened after receiving an anonymous complaint that among the passengers there were victims of human trafficking, so an investigation was initiated, led by the Paris Prosecutor’s Office.
Human trafficking investigation
The investigation is for an alleged case of human trafficking in an organized gang, a crime that in France is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and up to a 3 million euro fine, the Prosecutor’s Office detailed.
The passengers were disembarked and questioned, just like the crew. Two of the passengers were detained by the police while the investigations continue, in which various police, judicial and administrative agencies specialized in international human trafficking participate.
Detentions can last a maximum of 48 hours and both arrestees will continue to be interrogated.
Many passengers requested asylum
Among the passengers there are a total of 11 unaccompanied minors, to whom representatives have been assigned, according to sources close to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Besides, 58 of the passengers have requested asylum in Franceindicated L’Union, citing judicial sources.
The airport lobby was transformed into improvised accommodation, with single beds to offer passengers “the best possible reception conditions,” indicated the Prefecture (government delegation) of the Marne department.
They have also been distributed hygiene products, healthcare and regular meals.
A lawyer representing the airline, Liliana Bakayoko, explained this Saturday to the BFM channel that the flight was booked by “a reliable client of the company,” who was asked to cover that flight.
The lawyer refused to name that client to preserve her right to the presumption of innocence, but she did clarify that it is a company “registered outside the European Union” and with which Legend Airlines has made some flights in the past.
Plane crew released
Bakayoko stressed that the airline has nothing to do with possible irregularities, since all passengers have valid passports and visas and passed police checks at the airport of departure.
He added that French authorities have released all crew members after interrogating them.
Meanwhile, the airport continues to be confined and surrounded by police controls to prevent the departure of passengers and the entry of people from abroad.
The Indian embassy in France reported in X that it is offering consular assistance to its citizens. “We are investigating the situation and ensuring the well-being of the passengers,” he added.
Sources close to the case have suggested to local media the hypothesis that the passengers could be Indian workers in the US trying to join the flow of immigrants seeking to reach the United States or Canada from Central America, or even that the technical stopover was an excuse and France the final destination of the flight.
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