People smuggling

100 teens may have been smuggled to Paris in 3 years; 2 more carriers held

City crime branch, probing trafficking of minors to Paris, arrested two more carriers on Tuesday for allegedly smuggling teenagers from Mumbai. Investigators said till date around 100 minors may have been smuggled to Paris and their parents' only motive appears to be that their children get better education and their family's "status" improves.

The two accused—Sunil Nandwani (53) of Kalyan and Narsaiyya Munjali (45) of Nalasopara—were arrested after their phone numbers were found in the seized documents.

"Nandwani has earlier carried five to six minors to Paris while Munjali recently made passports for two minors but was unable to get French visas. Both were produced before court and remanded to police custody till April 29," said an officer. Teenagers aged between 14 and 16 are taken to France and kept there till they turn 18, after which they apply for French citizenship.