French authorities have grounded a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Nicaragua that was carrying 303 Indian passengers after receiving a tip that it could be carrying victims of human trafficking, prosecutors said on Friday. Special investigators are questioning all those aboard, and two people are in custody pending further examination, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. An anonymous tip signaled that the small Romania-based charter company Legend Airlines’ flight could be carrying people who could be victims of human trafficking. The flight was grounded Thursday after stopping for refueling at the Vatry Airport east of Paris, a small airfield used primarily for charter and cargo flights.
The passengers and crew are sequestered at the small Vatry airport, where they spent a second night on Friday on camp cots while the investigation continues. Investigators from a specialized French organized crime unit, border police, and aviation gendarmes are working on the case. The Indian Embassy in France has obtained consular access to the passengers and is “investigating the situation and ensuring the well-being of passengers.”
Legend Airlines did not respond to requests for comment. Liliana Bakayoko, identified as a Legend Airlines lawyer, said on France’s BFM television that the company denies any role in eventual human trafficking. She explained that the customer who chartered the plane was responsible for verifying the identity documents of each passenger and communicated the passenger information to the airline 48 hours before the flight.