Nicaragua Flight a Case of Indian Tourists Who Did Not Want to Return? Intel Sources Point to ‘Larger Conspiracy’

The case of Nicaragua-bound flight, which landed in Mumbai on Tuesday, carrying 303 Indian passengers, is part of a conspiracy where tourists leave India and never return and seek asylum in a foreign country based on religious persecution, according to intelligence sources.

Out of the 303 passengers, mostly from Punjab and Gujarat, 276 were sent to India, and 25 have sought asylum in France based on religious persecution.

The Airbus A340 flight, operated by Romania’s Legend Airlines, was grounded at France’s Chalons-Vatry airport, which is also a refuelling station for aircraft.

At the halt at Vatry airport, an email was received by the French authorities that it was a case of human trafficking. The French authorities took a special permission from court to offload passengers and detained two people who were not carrying the passport.

They were presented before the local judge who concluded that the passengers were “victims”, and should be sent back to their country, the intelligence sources said.

It is learnt that the Indian passengers were not forced but “chose” to travel to Nicaragua as tourists. Travellers need a visa to visit Nicaragua from India for business or tourism purposes.

The Indian passengers were told that the person whom they paid money to would help them cross Nicaragua (a country in North America) to the US, the intelligence sources stressed.

The Legend Airlines, which carried the Indian passengers from the UAE on December 22, denied involvement in any wrongdoing, and said some of the passengers had return tickets and hotel reservations.

India’s intelligence agencies are looking at a larger conspiracy where people from Punjab and Gujarat travel as tourists but never return to the country, and seek asylum citing “religious persecution”.

Intelligence agencies point to a racket where Indians are told to leave the country as tourists and not return. The Indian travellers then abuse the government, and seek asylum in a foreign country.

Indian authorities are also investigating the role of NGOs who could possibly be part of the racket.

According to intelligence sources, in similar cases, three-four flights with Indians on board have already reached Nicaragua. Most passengers are in their 30s.