The aircraft was detained after an anonymous tipoff, Paris prosecutors said. The plane had taken off from the United Arab Emirates and a judicial investigation into the conditions and purposes of the trip has been launched.

New Delhi: A Nicaragua-bound plane carrying more than 300 Indian passengers has been grounded in France over suspected “human trafficking”, authorities said as per news agency AFP while two people were arrested. According to a ‘Le Monde’ newspaper report, the national anti-organised crime unit JUNALCO has taken over the investigation. Special investigators are questioning all those aboard and two people are in custody pending further examination, the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

The aircraft was detained after an anonymous tipoff, Paris prosecutors said. The plane had taken off from the United Arab Emirates and a judicial investigation into the conditions and purposes of the trip has been launched, news agency Reuters reported quoting local media.

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, the Marne prefect’s office said. “The reception hall at Vatry airport was transformed into a waiting area with individual beds to provide passengers with the best possible reception conditions,” the prefect’s office said.

Following reports that a Nicaragua-bound flight carrying 303 Indian passengers was grounded by the French government, the Indian mission in France said it was investigating the situation while also ensuring the wellbeing of the passengers.

“French authorities informed us of a plane w/ 303 people, mostly Indian origin, from Dubai to Nicaragua detained on a technical halt at a French airport. Embassy team has reached & obtained consular access. We are investigating the situation, also ensuring wellbeing of passengers,” the Indian embassy said in a post on X.

French authorities informed us of a plane w/ 303 people, mostly Indian origin, from Dubai to Nicaragua detained on a technical halt at a French airport. Embassy team has reached & obtained consular access. We are investigating the situation, also ensuring wellbeing of passengers.

— India in France (@IndiaembFrance) December 22, 2023

Investigators from a specialised French organised crime unit, border police and aviation gendarmes are working on the case.

Legend Airlines is yet to comment on the incident.