Suspicion of human trafficking: Two arrests after plane stops in France
According to information from investigators, there were also minors on board the plane.
The French judiciary had prevented the plane with over 300 people from India on board from continuing its flight at Vatry airport in eastern France. According to the public prosecutor's office, there had been an anonymous tip-off that the people on board could be victims of human trafficking. According to them, the national unit for combating organized crime, Junalco, is leading the investigation.
The plane had made a refueling stop in France on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Nicaragua. If the suspicions are confirmed, those responsible could face a prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of three million euros.
The plane, which belongs to a Romanian airline, will remain at the airport for the time being, the prefecture announced. A gendarmerie unit is on duty. According to information from investigators, the Indian passengers may have had the aim of traveling illegally from Latin America to the USA or Canada.
In the meantime, the passengers were staying in the airport waiting hall, where they had been given beds. According to the local authorities, they were to remain in the airport overnight.
The alleged lawyer of the Romanian low-cost airline Legend Air, Liliana Bakayoko, told the AFP news agency that the company had done nothing wrong and had committed no crime. The company is "at the disposal of the French authorities". However, the airline would take legal action if the public prosecutor's office brought charges.
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The alleged tip-off led to the involvement of the French police and the public prosecutor's office in this case.The investigation into human trafficking is being conducted jointly by the French police and the national unit for combating organized crime, Junalco.The arrests made after the plane stop are a significant step towards combating human trafficking in France and beyond.The justice system in France is ready to bring those responsible for human trafficking to justice if the suspicions are confirmed.The stop of the plane in France has raised concerns about the extent of human trafficking from India to other parts of the world.The French authorities are working closely with their counterparts in India to gather more information and bring those involved to justice.Two men from France are also under suspicion in this human trafficking case, adding a local angle to the investigation.The French public prosecutor's office has the power to bring charges against the alleged traffickers and the airline if evidence warrants it.The issue of human trafficking is a global concern that requires concerted efforts from law enforcement agencies in different countries to stop.
Source: www.stern.de
