Plane With 300 Indians Grounded Over 'Human Trafficking' Lands in Mumbai

The plane was grounded on Thursday following an anonymous tipoff, French authorities said.

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A Nicaragua-bound plane with over 303 Indian passengers on board which was grounded in France over alleged "human trafficking" landed in Mumbai early on Tuesday, 26 December.

The Airbus A340, carrying passengers "likely to be victims of human trafficking", was grounded on Thursday following an anonymous tipoff, French authorities told news agency AFP.

The aircraft is said to have taken off from the United Arab Emirates and was bound for the capital city of Managua.

Authorities said that the plane was due to refuel and is owned by a Romanian charter company called Legend Airlines.

Officials are investigating the conditions and purpose of the trip, according to a BBC report. Two passengers have been taken into custody, the report added.

'Investigating Situation': Indian Authorities

Soon after reports of the plane being grounded emerged, Indian authorities reportedly visited the flight after having obtained consular access to the Indian passengers onboard.

"French authorities informed us of a plane with 303 people, mostly of Indian origin, from Dubai to Nicaragua detained on a technical halt at a French airport. The embassy team has reached and obtained consular access. We are investigating the situation, also ensuring the well-being of the passengers," the Indian Embassy in France wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Meanwhile, AFP reported that Liliana Bakayoko, Legend Airlines' lawyer, had denied that the charter company had committed any offence and was working with the French authorities. But the airline would take legal action if the prosecutors file charges, she reportedly added.

(With inputs from AFP, BBC, and NDTV.)