Chartered flight from Dubai carrying 250 people, many from India, grounded in Jamaica

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A chartered flight from Dubai carrying numerous Indian passengers, including around 75 from Gujarat, was returned from Jamaica’s capital Kingston after local officials were dissatisfied with the passengers’ paperwork.

Randhir Jaiswal, the Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson, confirmed that the flight departed Kingston for Dubai on May 7.

“We understand that a Germany-registered chartered flight with Indians on board landed in Kingston from Dubai on May 2 for tourism. They had prior hotel bookings,” Jaiswal stated at his weekly media conference.

“The authorities were not satisfied with them being tourists. The flight and passengers were ordered to return to place of origin, Dubai. The passengers left Kingston on May 7,” he explained.

According to a Jamaica Observer story, immigration officers turned away 253 international passengers on the trip due to security concerns.

According to the media site, Jamaica’s Ministry of National Security said that local officials often inspect passenger planes for potential security risks as well as legal and/or regulatory infractions.

The flight, which is currently being investigated by central authorities, “had on board around 75 Gujaratis on a tourist visa” according to a Gujarat Crime Investigation Department (CID) officer as well as several from Punjab are also suspected to be on board.

It is believed that these visitors intended to enter the US illegally by way of the border with Mexico.

Last December, a Nicaragua-bound aircraft carrying Indians was delayed in France and then returned to India on suspicion of human trafficking.

In an attempt to smuggle more than sixty individuals from the state into the United States, the Gujarat CID has charged fourteen operatives with human trafficking. At least 66 persons from the state were among the 303 passengers on the Legend Airways flight from Fujairah in UAE, to Nicaragua.