Malaysia Airlines mystery: No link between stolen passports and terrorism

Officials claim that two Iranians who boarded the missing Malaysian plane with stolen passports had no obvious links to terrorists.

11:16 11 March 2014

As the mystery over the missing Malaysia Airlines plane deepens, the nation's police have stated that two men travelling on stolen passports had no apparent ties to terrorism.

Malaysian police identified one as Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad, 18, while Interpol named the other as Delavar Seyed Mohammadreza, 29. The former was apparently looking to migrate to Germany. Malaysia's police chief Inspector Gen Khalid Abu Bakar stated that he had spoken with the young Iranian's mother who was expecting him in Frankfurt and that the traveller was "not likely to be a member of a terrorist group",

While travelling on stolen passports is an obvious security breach, it is not uncommon in the region.

With 239 on board, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing went missing on Saturday.

Debris and oil slicks have been spotted in the ocean but none have been linked with the missing plane. 

Some now believe that the plane disintegrated in mid-air.

Inspector Gen Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that investigators are focussing on four areas to explain what happened: hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems or personal problems with passengers or crew.

Complicating the search is the possibility that the plane veered off course or, as Malaysian Airlines claim is possible, that aircraft had tried to turn back to an airport at Subang, near Kuala Lumpur.