Plane held in France over 'human trafficking' concerns lands in Mumbai

NEW DELHI: Plane with 303 Indians onboard held in France over trafficking concerns landed in Mumbai early morning on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI, quoting an official.The charter plane for Nicaragua, was grounded in France's Vatry for an investigation into human trafficking. The flight took off for Mumbai on Monday after the French authorities permitted the aircraft to leave France. Of the original 303 people on the passenger list, 276 were on the plane.Airbus A340 flight, operated by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, from UAE to Nicaragua, in central America, was grounded at Vatry airport last Thursday.Among the passengers staying behind were two people questioned by French police over suspected people trafficking, but a judicial source said police released them "after establishing that the 303 passengers had boarded the plane of their own free will".The suspects' release came because "the investigating judge was able to resist media pressure in this case", said their lawyer, Salome Cohen.According to media reports, two passengers were detained following interrogation by the French authorities. Meanwhile, the prefect’s office initiated a judicial investigation with a focus on the purpose and conditions under which these passengers were being flown to the central American country.The French authorities are continuing to investigate the case for violation of immigration laws, but no longer for potential people trafficking, judicial sources said.Around 25 have applied for asylum and have been transferred to a special zone in Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport for asylum-seekers.(With agencies input)