India probes suspected human trafficking after 276 nationals return home

A passenger from Nicaragua bound Airbus A340 flight that was grounded in France on suspicion of human trafficking, leaves the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after his arrival, in Mumbai, India, December 26, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - India has launched an investigation into how 303 Indians ended up on a chartered flight that was grounded in France last week because of suspected human trafficking, authorities in the western Indian state of Gujarat said on Wednesday.

Tipped off by an anonymous informant, French authorities on Friday prevented the plane from flying to its listed destination of Nicaragua from a refuelling stopover at Vatry airport in northeastern France. It had taken off from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 11 unaccompanied minors among the passengers, 276 of whom returned to India on Tuesday.