Passengers held in France quizzed by CISF, avoid media

The Indian passengers were interrogated by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials after their charter plane, grounded in France for four days over suspected human trafficking, landed in Mumbai in the wee hours on Tuesday.

The charter plane carrying 276 passengers, mostly Indians, that was grounded in France over suspected human trafficking, landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport around 4am.

Upon arriving in Mumbai, the passengers faced several questions on their controversial trip. But many of them tried to run and avoid the media when approached outside the Mumbai airport.

According to French authorities, the plane had 276 passengers on board when it took off for Mumbai, as 25 persons, including two minors, had expressed the wish to apply for asylum and were still on French soil. Two others were held, produced before a judge and placed on assisted witness status, a French news channel said.

When the flight landed in Vatry airport, there were 11 unaccompanied minors among the 303 Indian passengers on board, a local official had said.

The flight, which was operated by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines and bound for Nicaragua, had landed at Vatry on Thursday for a technical stopover en route from Dubai when French police intervened.

French authorities launched a judicial investigation into the conditions and purpose of the trip, with a unit specialising in organised crime investigating suspected human trafficking.