DHAKA: A man traveling on a stolen passport on a missing Malaysian jet was a young Iranian who is not believed to have terrorist links.

Malaysian police say, reports the BBC.

It is thought the 19-year-old was traveling to Germany where he was hoping to seek asylum, they say.

The Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished on Saturday shortly after it left Kuala Lumpur. There were 239 people on board.

Search teams have expanded their scope to the Straits of Malacca.

The young Iranian was one of two passengers traveling on stolen passports on board the flight.

Malaysia’s police chief Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar said the young Iranian was ‘not likely to be a member of a terrorist group’, adding that the authorities were in contact with his mother in Germany, who had been expecting her son to arrive in the city of Frankfurt.

BDST: 1335 HRS, MAR 11, 2014