Interrogation of Gujarat Passengers Returned from France Focuses on Key Players in ‘Donkey’ Flight Operations
The Airbus A340 bound for Nicaragua, carrying 276 passengers, was detained in France for four days due to suspected involvement in human trafficking. In connection with this incident, the Gujarat Police has interrogated approximately 20 passengers from Gujarat who were on the flight. The objective is to uncover a suspected illegal immigration network believed to be operating from the state, as reported by news agency PTI.
An Airbus A340 en route to Nicaragua, carrying 276 passengers, was detained in France for suspected human trafficking, grounding the aircraft for four days. Upon landing in Mumbai on December 26, a senior official from the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) disclosed that around 60 passengers from Gujarat, who have since returned home, were questioned.
The CID sought to determine if these individuals had intentions of entering the United States illegally after reaching Latin America. The passengers, sent back from France, claimed to be tourists, prompting further investigation to identify the agents behind their trip, according to SP Rajkumar, Additional Director General of Police, CID – Crime and Railways.
The police reported that out of the 60 individuals who returned to Gujarat, around 20 have already undergone questioning by the agency.
“We are currently scrutinizing their documents to determine whether they utilized legitimate or forged documents to travel to Central America. Additionally, we will review their financial transactions to ensure that they did not make excessive payments if their purpose was merely tourism and not for any other undisclosed intentions,” stated a high-ranking IPS officer.
“Despite commencing the interrogation, none of them are providing substantial information. They insist that they visited as regular tourists. We are conducting a thorough investigation, exploring all possible angles,” the officer added.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police CID (Crime) Sanjay Kharat mentioned that the CID had assembled four teams to delve into the matter.
The Crime Investigation Department (CID) is set to take action against agents who falsely promised assistance to victims in illegally entering the US and other countries. Four teams have been established to gather information from the victims regarding the assurances made by these agents.
Recently, an Airbus A340 carrying Indians was grounded in France at Vatry airport, east of Paris, during a refueling stop. The detention followed an anonymous tip-off suggesting potential human trafficking victims on board. Most of the 303 people on the flight, which had originated from Dubai, were repatriated to India on Monday.
According to Gujarat Police superintendent Sanjay Kharat, passengers had paid “four million to 12.5 million rupees” ($48,000-150,000) to these agents, who promised to facilitate their journey from South America to the southern border of the United States.
We are looking into how these individuals came into contact with the agents, or whether the agents initiated contact with them. Additionally, we are interested in understanding their plans upon reaching Nicaragua,” he mentioned.
Out of the 276 passengers who returned to India, Kharat specified that 66 were from his state, and the police are currently interrogating them.
“We have identified individuals who may possess information about the illegal racket, and they are currently undergoing questioning,” he added.
The majority of the remaining passengers on the flight were from Punjab, where the police are also actively investigating the matter.
“As part of our duty, we are conducting an investigation upon being informed of any potential illegal activities, and we are closely examining the issue,” stated senior Punjab police official LK Yadav to AFP.
The flight was operated by the Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, and passengers were accommodated at Vatry airport during the investigation. Two individuals, suspected of human trafficking, stayed back in France for further questioning by the local police.
A French legal source stated that the individuals were released upon confirming that they had voluntarily boarded the plane. Additionally, 25 passengers, including five minors, applied for asylum in France. US Customs and Border Protection data indicate that nearly 100,000 unauthorized Indian migrants have attempted to enter the United States this year.
