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On December 21, 2023, a flight with over 300 Indian passengers had to opt for an emergency landing in France on suspicion of human trafficking. According to the Associated Press, Airbus A340 was held at Vatry Airport in Paris' Champagne-Ardenne after an anonymous source alerted the French authorities that there were human trafficking victims inside the flight.
Upon investigation, authorities found that most passengers on the flight were families and children, including a 21-month-old toddler. While most of the passengers and crew members were questioned by the anti-organized crime unit Junalco, two passengers were detained.
The airport was turned into an impromptu courtroom where the authorities checked the identities of all the passengers. The investigation found no evidence related to human trafficking.
Airbus A340 is returning after being investigated for human trafficking
On Monday, December 25, Firstpost reported that Airbus A340 was allowed to leave the Vatry Airport after the French authorities investigated the plane and its passengers on suspicion of human trafficking. The airport was covered with white tarps while the authorities checked the passengers' identities.
As per the Associated Press, 15 crew members were released by the authorities. A few passengers were reportedly believed to be illegal migrants, and further details on the same are currently awaited.
According to BBC, Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, the owner of the flight, and their attorney, Liliana Bakayoko, denied that the plane was being used for trafficking people.
The Indian Embassy in France also confirmed that they were informed about the flight by the French authorities. A post shared on the official account of the Embassy on X (formerly Twitter) read:
"Embassy team has reached & obtained consular access. We are investigating the situation, also ensuring wellbeing of passengers."
Most passengers are reportedly confirmed to return to India after the French Civil Aviation Authority approved the departure.
Stranded passengers were provided with all the facilities by the authorities
The Airbus A340 passengers were forced to stay at the Vatry Airport after they were investigated for human trafficking by the authorities. As per the Associated Press, any other flight landing at the airport was canceled or rerouted.
Although the passengers had to remain at the airport as part of the trafficking investigation, they were offered basic facilities like sleeping beds, food, medical care, and access to toilets.
As mentioned earlier, the attorney for Legend Airlines, Liliana Bakayoko, has already denied the accusations, but the allegations of trafficking are yet to be confirmed by the authorities.
