MUMBAI: Families and neighbours of the 12 Indian Muslims who were detained at Amsterdam after the return of the flight are bitter about authorities revealing little about their release and details of their flight home.

"We know nothing for nobody told us what is happening; we have learnt about the flight's return, the detention and the release from television," said Bilkisbano Memon, 52, mother of Yusuf Haji Gaffar Memon who was detained by Dutch authorities along with eleven others. She said that nobody from the Government informed them about anything and they received no phone call from Mr. Memon.

Her son-in-law, Irfan Ahmed, 35, is angry. "Something as insignificant as playing with mobile phones landed them in trouble. It was also because two of them sported beards and wore kurta-ijar and not western clothing," he said.

He said that the traders had reached Amsterdam from Trinidad and Mr. Memon had called home from there before take off. "We do not know how they are and they were not allowed to call us. We hope that they will reach Mumbai on Friday since they have been released."

Like his brother-in-law, Mr. Ahmed is also in the garment export business and goes to Trinidad-Tobago.

He said the detained Indian businessmen regularly visited Trinidad to participate in garment fairs along with traders from Delhi and other Indian cities.

"Our traders have all the documents including invitations to participate in the trade fair, visas and Indian passports besides papers about their trade," he said.

Another trader, Saleem who had participated in the fair but returned home early, said, "We have been exporting garments despite stiff competition from China."

He said that the Indians transiting through Europe were often treated badly and once he had seen some Indians being humiliated at Vienna airport.

"Even my own passport was not returned for a good one hour by the immigration officer though I was only in transit there and he returned it only after I protested," he said.

Of the 12 detained, 10 are garment dealers and two are caterers who had set up a stall for Indian dishes at the trade fair, Mr. Saleem said.

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