A plane carrying suspected victims of human trafficking was rerouted to India while on its way to Nicaragua after being detained in France. It has now landed in Mumbai.
While no evidence of trafficking was found, the inquiry gave way to concerns of undocumented immigration that are still being investigated by French authorities.
Here is what we know about the flight’s tumultuous journey over the past few days.
A makeshift courtroom was set up at the airport where emergency judicial hearings were carried out for two days into the conditions and purposes of the trip by a unit specializing in organised crime.
Consular officials from the Indian embassy in Paris were also on site.
Twenty-five of the passengers, including five minors, requested asylum in the country while two passengers were detained based on suspicions of trafficking before being released. They have also reportedly requested asylum.
“We cannot keep foreigners in a waiting area for more than 96 hours. Beyond that, it is the liberty and custody judge who must rule on their fate,” Francois Procureur, the head of the Chalons-en-Champagne Bar Association, told local television on Saturday.
Once it received clearance, the plane left Vatry Airport.
No concrete evidence was found, but French authorities said they are continuing to investigate potential breaches of immigration laws.
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