In a perplexing turn of events, a chartered plane carrying 276 Indians, grounded in France amid suspicions of human trafficking, has returned to India. The passengers, originating mostly from Punjab and Gujarat, disembarked in Mumbai after their flight was detained in France.
Preliminary investigations by Punjab and Gujarat police aim to uncover the potential involvement of an agency or organized syndicate behind this suspicious travel arrangement. French authorities initially suspected trafficking, prompting further scrutiny. Approximately two-thirds of the passengers hailed from Punjab, while Gujarat accounted for about 25% of the group. Most held valid Nicaraguan visas, and some possessed return tickets, challenging the trafficking allegations.
Gujarat police have initiated a thorough investigation to unravel the network orchestrating this thwarted trafficking attempt. Passengers from Gujarat, representing districts like Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, and Anand, will undergo interrogation upon reaching their home state. The focus of the inquiry is to identify those facilitating such trafficking, the individuals opting for it, and the scale of such operations.
Superintendent of Police, CID (Crime), Sanjay Kharat, highlighted the role of agents operating at the village and district levels, portraying them as small players controlled by an international kingpin. The investigation aims to shed light on the intricacies of this suspected trafficking network.
A Punjab Police official shared that the deported individuals, primarily in their mid-20s to early 30s, possessed valid Nicaraguan visas. The term “Donkey route” refers to an illicit method wherein individuals traverse borders through a back-door route with multiple stops in different countries. The passengers initially traveled to Dubai on tourist or work visas before boarding the flight to Nicaragua via the UAE. French authorities, however, alleged that the ultimate destination might have been the US, via Mexico.
As investigations unfold, authorities are keen to discern whether an organized syndicate is behind this peculiar travel arrangement and whether it indeed constitutes a case of human trafficking.
