VATRY, FRANCE: Issues with Canada and the United States over the charges of murder and attempt to murder Sikh leaders were still unresolved, India is faced with another charge of human trafficking.
Four French judges on Sunday began questioning more than 300 Indians travelling on a plane detained near Paris on the charge of human trafficking.
The Nicaragua-bound Airbus A340 has been held at Vatry airport, 150 kilometres (95 miles) 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.
Two passengers in custody since Friday had their detention extended Saturday evening for up to 48 hours, according to the Paris prosecutors office. They were being held “to verify” whether their role “may have been different than the others in this transport, and under what conditions and with what objectives”.
Investigators have checked the identity of passengers and flight crew, and are verifying the “conditions and purposes” of their travel, the prosecutor added.
Patrick Jaloux, the head of civil protection in the Marne region, said some of the passengers spoke Hindi, India’s national language, and the others Tamil which is spoken in southern India.
