Plane with 303 passengers of Indian nationality bound for Nicaragua blocked in France since Thursday over suspected «Human Trafficking,» french prosecution announced.
The aircraft, coming from the United Arab Emirates, has been immobilized on the tarmac of the Vatry airport following an ‘anonymous report’ received by authorities alleging that the plane was carrying Indian passengers who might «be victims of human trafficking,» the Paris Prosecutor’s Office informed AFP.
A source close to the investigation indicated that the plane made a stop in Vatry to refuel and that it is possible the Indian passengers’ goal was to travel to Nicaragua to attempt irregular entry into the United States or Canada from there.
The Prosecution stated that they initiated an investigation ‘to verify if there is evidence supporting suspicions of human trafficking’ coordinated by an organized gang, a crime punishable by a 20-year prison sentence and a fine of three million euros (3.31 million dollars).
The prefecture of the Marne department in northeastern France mentioned that the flight operated by the Romanian airline Legend Airlines «remains immobilized on the tarmac of Vatry airport after its landing in the afternoon» of Thursday, following an operation by air transport authorities.
«New Route»
In previous weeks, charter flights operated by Legend Airlines had already arrived in Managua. LA PRENSA confirmed through various sources that these flights didn’t carry tourists but rather migrants from India and former Soviet Union countries. They landed in Nicaragua to then continue their journey towards the United States or Canada.
The decision by the United States to restrict visas for individuals involved in charter flights arriving in Nicaragua with irregular migrants, who then continue their journey northward by land, decreased trips from various Caribbean islands. However, it had opened a new route for charter flights from the old continent.
At the beginning of December, two direct flights arrived. The first flight landed in Managua on Saturday, December 9th, at 8:37 p.m. It departed from Châlons Vatry International Airport in France, operated by the same Legend Airlines based in Romania. This airline leases aircraft and conducts charter flights using its fleet of Airbus A-340, known for its technical specifications, being one of the commercial planes with the most range and capable of carrying up to 359 passengers.
On Friday, December 15th, another plane from the same airline with the same itinerary arrived, followed by another charter flight from France on the night of December 16th.
