Two fake passport passengers in MH370 flight were Iranians

Wednesday, 12 March 2014 00:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Straits Times: The two passengers holding fake passports aboard the Malaysian flight MH370 were Iranians heading to Europe with the aim of seeking asylum, said the BBC Persian service, quoting a source who met them in Malaysia. The Malaysian authorities on Monday identified one of them as 19-year-old Iranian Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad, who is believed to be using a stolen Austrian passport. The Interpol identified the second man, also an Iranian, as 29-year-old Delavar Seyed Mohammad Reza, who is thought to be using a stolen Italian passport. An anonymous Iranian told the Persian service on Monday in a phone interview from Malaysia that he met a friend he knew from high school, believed to be Mr Mehrdad, when the latter arrived in the South-east Asian country. “I met him the first day he arrived in Malaysia... he said he was staying for three to four days but was eventually going to Germany, that his final destination was Frankfurt in Germany. He stayed for almost a week in Malaysia.” he said. The source said the high school friend was travelling with another person. He added that he accompanied them to book the tickets for the Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight. “We went together when he booked the flights and I even had his booking number and was checking his flight status online, that’s why I remember which flight he was taking. I had seen his flight number.”