Stolen passports raise terror concern
Another mysterious aspect of the already devastating situation is that two passengers on the flight hadstolen passports, raising terror concerns.
US officials are looking into those concerns, NBC News reported. However, officials stated that there is no clear connection to terrorism, citing other reasons that passengers may have had stolen passports – such as drug smuggling.
Malaysian authorities said at least two more identities aboard the plane are being investigated, Reuters cited a security official as saying.
The persons listed on the stolen passports have been found safe and sound in their home countries.
“Our embassy got the information that there was an Austrian on board. That was the passenger list from Malaysia Airlines. Our system came back with a note that this is a stolen passport,” an Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman revealed, as quoted by Reuters. The man, who was found at his home by police, reportedly had his passport stolen while traveling in Thailand in 2012.
An Italian ‘ghost’ passenger was also discovered, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome.
The passenger list provided by Malaysia Airlines included Luigi Maraldi, 37, an Italian citizen. Following the document’s release, Corriere Della Sera newspaper reported that Maraldi's passport was stolen in Thailand last August.
The names of individuals are being verified with embassies of their countries in Malaysia. The investigated individuals all purchased their tickets through China Southern Airlines.
Malaysian transport minister added that investigators are going over the entire passenger manifest.
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