French authorities grounded a charter flight carrying 303 people, mostly Indians, on Thursday. The Airbus A340, operated out by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, had departed from Dubai and was headed to Nicaragua in Central America. It was detained by French authorities during “a technical halt” – for refueling – at Vatry airport in eastern France.

Why did France ground the plane?

French authorities detained the flight after they received an anonymous tip-off that said the plane was carrying passengers “likely to be victims of human trafficking,” the Paris prosecutors office was quoted by AFP as saying. According to the report, two men, who were among the passengers, were taken into custody on Saturday.

“Identity checks are being carried on the 303 passengers and on the cabin crew,” said the prosecutor’s office. They were also checking the conditions in which the passengers were being transported and the purpose of their journey. A source told AFP that minors were among the passengers.

What was the purpose of their journey?

As the probe into this aspect continues, a source familiar with the case told AFP that the passengers might have planned to travel to Central America in order to attempt illegal entry into the United States or Canada.

According to the airline, the plane was carrying 303 Indian nationals who had probably been working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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What will happen next?

The prefecture in the north-eastern department of Marne said the A340 “remained grounded on the tarmac at Vatry airport following its landing” on Thursday.

Border police can initially hold a foreign national for up to four days if they land in France. They are also prevented from travelling on to their intended destination.

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According to AFP, French law allows for that period to be extended to eight days if a judge approves it, then another eight days in exceptional circumstances, up to a maximum of 26 days.

Human trafficking carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in France.

What the airline said?

The aircraft is owned by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines. A lawyer for the airline told AFP that the company believed it had done nothing wrong, had committed no offence “and is at the disposal of the French authorities”.

“But the airline would take legal action if the prosecutors file charges,” lawyer Liliana Bakayok added. She told French news channel BFMTV that the firm was ready to cooperate with the French authorities.

Legend Airlines “intervenes as a carrier”, she said, adding that “the flight was carried out for “a client of the company”. The airline reportedly has a small fleet of four aircraft.

According to the lawyer, the airline verified “the conformity of the documents presented by the client, who must demonstrate that these people have the right to go to Nicaragua, and have valid passports”.

“The company cannot check the criminal records of the people transported,” said Bakayoko. “303 people is not a number that raises alarm. They are not locked in a truck without ventilation and food,” she said.

The airline is “unhappy,” she said. “It is a significant economic loss, but their image also suffers,” she was quoted reports as saying.

She hoped the plane could be on its way in the next couple of days. “We hope that within one or two days maximum the plane will be able to leave,” said the lawyer.

Investigation underway

The Indian mission in France has already informed that the “embassy team has reached and obtained consular access (of Indian passengers). We are investigating the situation, also ensuring the wellbeing of passengers.”

Meanwhile, the national anti-organised crime unit JUNALCO is leading the investigation, prosecutors said. “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.

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

The passengers were set to remain at the airport overnight Saturday, local authorities said. “The passengers and crew are sequestered in the small Vatry airport…,” said an official with the Marne regional administration.

They initially remained in the A340 plane, surrounded by police on the tarmac, but were then transferred into the main hall of the airport to sleep Thursday night, the official said.