Indians held in France over trafficking fears questioned

VATRY, France: Four French judges on Sunday began questioning more than 300 Indians travelling on a plane detained near Paris over suspicions of human trafficking.

The Nicaragua-bound Airbus A340 has been held at Vatry airport, 150-kms east of Paris, since arriving from Dubai on Thursday for refuelling after an anonymous tip-off that it was carrying potential victims of human trafficking.

The judges have the authority to extend the detention order being used by border police by eight days initially and for a another eight if required. They have two days to complete speaking to the passengers.

“The goal is to be able to see everyone,” Annick Browne, the prosecutor for the Chalons-en-Champagne region, told AFP. The judges are being helped by translators. The 303 passengers of the flight operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines are holed up in the airport. They include 11 unaccompanied minors, according to Paris prosecutors.

Ten of the passengers have requested asylum, a source close to the case said. Tarpaulin covered the entrance hall´s glass exterior and nearby administrative buildings, while police and gendarmes prevented access. Two passengers in custody since Friday had their detention extended Saturday evening for up to 48 hours, according to the Paris prosecutor´s office.