A charter plane grounded in France for a human trafficking investigation departed on Monday for India, after an exceptional holiday ordeal that left about 300 Indians en route to Central America blocked inside a rural French airport for four days.
The Vatry Airport in Champagne country saw the unmarked Legend Airlines A340 take off after the crew and about 200 other people boarded the plane. It wasn’t immediately clear what would happen to those who didn’t board the plane.
The passengers grounded in France included a 21-month-old child and 11 unaccompanied minors who were put under special administrative care. Several passengers have requested asylum in France, according to an official with the Marne regional prefecture.
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Two passengers were detained and are appearing before a judge Monday to face possible charges including involvement in an organized criminal group helping foreigners enter or stay in a country illegally, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
