Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has insisted that two Iranians who were on board the MH370 flight had entered Malaysia using stolen passports.
 
This refutes an earlier claim by Interpol that the pair had come in, using their original Iranian passports.
 
Ahmad Zahid said the original passports were only used by the Iranians to travel from Qatar to Phuket, Thailand, where they allegedly bought the stolen Austrian and Italian passports.
 
"The problem here is the syndicate that we have in a neighbouring country," he said told the Dewan Rakyat during Question time this morning.
 
Ahmad Zahid emphasised that the duo did not use "fake passports" but "genuine passports which were stolen".
 
He said that over 40 million stolen passports have been reported stolen to Interpol. 
 
Although he had previously said that Immigration officers had followed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in processing the duo, Ahmad Zahid said four officers are facing an internal investigation.
 
He would not give details beyond saying that he will reveal the outcome of the probe when he winds up debate on points raised for his ministry’s attention.
 
"We will not compromise. (The) Immigration (Department) will take action," he added.
 
Immigration Department director-general Aloyah Mamat had earlier said that her officers had followed the SOP.