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Terror Links to Stolen Passports Discounted in Malaysia Jet Inquiry Stolen Passports on Plane Not Seen as Terror Link
(about 7 hours later)
SEPANG, Malaysia — Two Iranians known to have used stolen passports to board the Malaysia Airlines jet that disappeared on Saturday were unlikely to be linked to terrorist groups, international police authorities said, echoing an assessment by the Malaysian police that one of them was a 19-year-old Iranian who wanted to migrate to Germany. SEPANG, Malaysia — Two Iranians known to have used stolen passports to board the Malaysia Airlines jet that disappeared on Saturday were unlikely to be linked to terrorist groups, international police authorities said, echoing an assessment by the Malaysian police that one of them was a 19-year-old who wanted to migrate to Germany.
The 19-year-old Iranian, Pouria Nourmohammadi Mehrdad, was using a stolen Austrian passport to travel to Germany, where he was to meet his mother, said Khalid Abu Bakar, the inspector general of the Malaysian police. The 19-year-old, Pouria Nourmohammadi Mehrdad, was using a stolen Austrian passport to travel to Germany, where he was to meet his mother, said Khalid Abu Bakar, the inspector general of the Malaysian police.
“We are in contact with his mother,” Mr. Khalid said at a news conference.“We are in contact with his mother,” Mr. Khalid said at a news conference.
Interpol identified the second Iranian traveler as Delavar Seyed Mohammad Reza, 29, who used a stolen Italian passport, and released a photograph of the two men boarding Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 at the same time. Interpol also confirmed the identity of the other Iranian, Mr. Mehrdad, but gave his age as 18. The source of the discrepancy was unclear. Interpol identified the second Iranian traveler as Seyed Mohammed Reza Delavar, 29,who used a stolen Italian passport, and released a photograph of the two men boarding Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 at the same time. Interpol confirmed the identity of the other Iranian, Mr. Mehrdad, but gave his age as 18. The source of the discrepancy was unclear.
Mr. Khalid said that the two men had arrived in Malaysia on the same day, Feb. 28.Mr. Khalid said that the two men had arrived in Malaysia on the same day, Feb. 28.
At the headquarters of Interpol in Lyon, France, Ronald K. Noble, the agency’s secretary general, said the evidence emerging about the two Iranians suggested that they were not likely to be linked to any terrorist groups. At Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, France, Ronald K. Noble, the agency’s secretary general, said the evidence emerging about the two Iranians suggested that they were not likely to be linked to any terrorist groups. “The more information we get, the more we are inclined to conclude it is not a terrorist incident,” Mr. Noble said.
“The more information we get, the more we are inclined to conclude it is not a terrorist incident,” Mr. Noble said.
He added that the two men had traveled to Kuala Lumpur on Iranian passports before using the stolen Italian and Austrian passports to board the flight.He added that the two men had traveled to Kuala Lumpur on Iranian passports before using the stolen Italian and Austrian passports to board the flight.
Mr. Noble praised the Iranian authorities for their cooperation in confirming the identities of the two men. He said Tehran had also determined that neither of the men had a criminal record and that both had left Iran legally.Mr. Noble praised the Iranian authorities for their cooperation in confirming the identities of the two men. He said Tehran had also determined that neither of the men had a criminal record and that both had left Iran legally.
The connection to Iran seemed to unsettle some authorities in Tehran, where a prominent lawmaker called the reports about the two Iranians “psychological warfare.”The connection to Iran seemed to unsettle some authorities in Tehran, where a prominent lawmaker called the reports about the two Iranians “psychological warfare.”
“Americans recruit some people for such kinds of operations so they can throw the blame on other countries, especially Muslim countries,” said Hossein Naghavi Hosseini, the spokesman for Parliament’s foreign policy committee.“Americans recruit some people for such kinds of operations so they can throw the blame on other countries, especially Muslim countries,” said Hossein Naghavi Hosseini, the spokesman for Parliament’s foreign policy committee.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry struck a more cooperative note.The Iranian Foreign Ministry struck a more cooperative note.
“We have received information on the possible presence of two Iranians” aboard the plane and “we are pursuing the issue,” said Marzieh Afkham, a spokeswoman. “We have informed our embassy in Malaysia that we are ready to receive further information about the issue from Malaysian officials. We have announced that we were ready for cooperation,” she said.“We have received information on the possible presence of two Iranians” aboard the plane and “we are pursuing the issue,” said Marzieh Afkham, a spokeswoman. “We have informed our embassy in Malaysia that we are ready to receive further information about the issue from Malaysian officials. We have announced that we were ready for cooperation,” she said.
Mr. Khalid, the inspector general of the Malaysian police, said previous reports by Malaysian officials that five passengers had failed to board the flight were false. “Everybody that booked the flight boarded the plane,” he said.Mr. Khalid, the inspector general of the Malaysian police, said previous reports by Malaysian officials that five passengers had failed to board the flight were false. “Everybody that booked the flight boarded the plane,” he said.
Thousands of Iranians seeking to leave their home country wait in Asian countries with friendly visa regulations to make the second part of their migration to the West or Australia. Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are popular jumping-off points for middle-class Iranians who arrive on tourist visas and are then helped by local travel agents.Thousands of Iranians seeking to leave their home country wait in Asian countries with friendly visa regulations to make the second part of their migration to the West or Australia. Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are popular jumping-off points for middle-class Iranians who arrive on tourist visas and are then helped by local travel agents.
The police in the Thai resort town of Pattaya said that they had questioned an Iranian man who paid cash for the tickets of the two passengers who traveled on stolen passports.The police in the Thai resort town of Pattaya said that they had questioned an Iranian man who paid cash for the tickets of the two passengers who traveled on stolen passports.
The man they questioned, Hashem Saheb Gharani Golestani, 51, runs a frame shop in Pattaya and was a friend of another Iranian, a frequent customer of a local travel agency, who booked the tickets from abroad, the police said. Mr. Hashem was released after questioning, they said.The man they questioned, Hashem Saheb Gharani Golestani, 51, runs a frame shop in Pattaya and was a friend of another Iranian, a frequent customer of a local travel agency, who booked the tickets from abroad, the police said. Mr. Hashem was released after questioning, they said.
The stolen passports used to board the flight had been taken during the past two years in Phuket, another Thai beach resort. Both destinations attract budget tourists from Russia, China, Europe and the Middle East and have become centers of crime, particularly human trafficking and the counterfeiting of travel documents.The stolen passports used to board the flight had been taken during the past two years in Phuket, another Thai beach resort. Both destinations attract budget tourists from Russia, China, Europe and the Middle East and have become centers of crime, particularly human trafficking and the counterfeiting of travel documents.
The fact that two passengers on the flight carried passports stolen in Thailand, and traveled on tickets bought in Thailand by an Iranian who does not live there, has raised the possibility that the passengers were part of a trafficking scheme.The fact that two passengers on the flight carried passports stolen in Thailand, and traveled on tickets bought in Thailand by an Iranian who does not live there, has raised the possibility that the passengers were part of a trafficking scheme.
An Iranian, Seyed Ramin, suspected of commanding one of Southeast Asia’s biggest human-trafficking and counterfeit passport syndicates, was arrested in Pattaya in June 2012. But the police chief in Pattaya, Col. Supachai Phuikaewkhum, said in an interview on Tuesday that he had found no connection between Mr. Hashem, whom he described as “coming and going” from Iran to Pattaya, and Seyed Ramin.An Iranian, Seyed Ramin, suspected of commanding one of Southeast Asia’s biggest human-trafficking and counterfeit passport syndicates, was arrested in Pattaya in June 2012. But the police chief in Pattaya, Col. Supachai Phuikaewkhum, said in an interview on Tuesday that he had found no connection between Mr. Hashem, whom he described as “coming and going” from Iran to Pattaya, and Seyed Ramin.
The one-way tickets bought for the passengers were routed from Kuala Lumpur with a transit stop in Beijing, according to Benjaporn Krutnait, the manager of the Grand Horizon travel agency in Pattaya. One ticket then went on to Copenhagen, the other to Frankfurt, she said.The one-way tickets bought for the passengers were routed from Kuala Lumpur with a transit stop in Beijing, according to Benjaporn Krutnait, the manager of the Grand Horizon travel agency in Pattaya. One ticket then went on to Copenhagen, the other to Frankfurt, she said.
Grand Horizon has a bold sign, Tehran Tours, above its shop front on a busy commercial street. Nearby, a store sells Middle Eastern carpets, Buddha statues and paintings of Arab men. The Grand Horizon has a bold sign, Tehran Tours, above its shop front on a busy commercial street. Nearby, a store sells Middle Eastern carpets, Buddha statues and paintings of Arab men.
Two Thai women working at Grand Horizon declined to answer questions on Tuesday. A man selling SIM cards and mobile phone chargers outside the store said Ms. Benjaporn had flown to Bangkok on Monday night after being questioned by the police. Two Thai women working at the Grand Horizon declined to answer questions on Tuesday. A man selling SIM cards and mobile phone chargers outside the store said Ms. Benjaporn had flown to Bangkok on Monday night after being questioned by the police.
Colonel Supachai said he did not know if the two men had been in Thailand before boarding the flight in Kuala Lumpur. He did not know, he said, if the passports used to board the flight had exit stamps from Thailand or entry stamps into Malaysia.Colonel Supachai said he did not know if the two men had been in Thailand before boarding the flight in Kuala Lumpur. He did not know, he said, if the passports used to board the flight had exit stamps from Thailand or entry stamps into Malaysia.
Before leaving for Bangkok, Ms. Benjaporn said that the purchaser of the tickets, known only as Mr. Ali, first asked her to book cheap tickets to Europe for the two men on March 1. She made reservations for one of the men on a Qatar Airways flight, and the other on Etihad, she said.Before leaving for Bangkok, Ms. Benjaporn said that the purchaser of the tickets, known only as Mr. Ali, first asked her to book cheap tickets to Europe for the two men on March 1. She made reservations for one of the men on a Qatar Airways flight, and the other on Etihad, she said.
Those tickets expired, she said, because Mr. Ali did not confirm them. Last Thursday, she booked the tickets again, this time on Malaysia Airlines through China Southern Airlines on a code-share arrangement. She chose Malaysia Airlines because it was cheapest, she said. Those tickets expired, she said, because Mr. Ali did not confirm them. Last Thursday, she booked the tickets again, this time on Malaysia Airlines through China Southern Airlines on a code-share arrangement. She said she chose Malaysia Airlines because it was cheapest.