India gets consular access after France grounds plane carrying mostly Indians. 7 things we know so far

Romania-based Legend Airlines believed it had committed ‘no offense’ after officials in France grounded a Nicaragua-bound plane carrying 300 Indian passengers on suspicion of ‘human trafficking’, said Liliana Bakayoko, who was a lawyer for the airline. 

Speaking to AFP, Bakayoko said, “The company denied any wrongdoing in the incident and is at the disposal of the French authorities. But the airline would take legal action if the prosecutors file charges."

The plane had taken off from the United Arab Emirates. The flight, carried out by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, had departed from Dubai and landed at the small Vatry airport on Thursday afternoon for a technical stopover when police intervened. 

France grounds plane over suspected 'human trafficking': What we know so far? 

1) The aircraft carrying passengers "likely to be victims of human trafficking" was detained on Thursday after an anonymous tipoff, the Paris public prosecutor's office told AFP.

2) The national anti-organized crime unit JUNALCO has taken over the investigation. A unit specializing in organized crime is investigating suspicions of human trafficking and arrested two people for questioning, the Paris public prosecution office said, adding that authorities had been tipped off by an anonymous informant.

3) The prefecture in the northeastern department of Marne said the A340, operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, "remained grounded on the tarmac at Vatry airport following its landing".

4) People familiar with the case said the Indian passengers might have planned to travel to Central America to attempt illegal entry into the United States or Canada.

5) After landing in France, they were first kept on the aircraft, but then let out and given individual beds in the terminal building. The entire airport was cordoned off by police.

6) The Vatry airport, located 150 kilometers (90 miles) east of Paris, serves mostly budget airlines. Human trafficking carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in France.

7) India's embassy in France has received consular access to its citizens. "The embassy team has reached & obtained consular access. We are investigating the situation, also ensuring the well-being of passengers," the Indian mission said on the microblogging site. 

(With inputs from agencies)