Plane grounded in France over human trafficking lands in Mumbai

PTI, Dec 26, 2023, 8:27 AM IST

A charter plane carrying 276 passengers, mostly Indians, which was grounded in France for four days over suspected human trafficking, landed in Mumbai on Tuesday, an official said.

The Nicaragua-bound flight operated by a Romanian company was detained for four days at Vatry airport near France.

The aircraft, an Airbus A340, landed in Mumbai shortly after 4 am, the official said. It had taken off from Vatry airport around 2.30 pm local time.

The charter flight that carried 303 passengers had taken off from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and was grounded at the Vatry airport, 150 km east of Paris, on Thursday over suspected human trafficking.

According to French authorities, the plane had 276 passengers on board when it took off for Mumbai, and 25 persons, including two minors, had expressed the wish to apply for asylum and were still on French soil.

Two others, who were brought before a judge, were released and placed on assisted witness status, a French news channel said.