AFP Vietnam spots possible wreckage from Malaysian plane

Bangkok (AFP) - Thai police said Sunday they were investigating a "passport ring" as details emerged of bookings made in Thailand with stolen European passports for the vanished Malaysia Airlines flight.

Two European names -- Christian Kozel, an Austrian, and Luigi Maraldi of Italy -- were listed on the passenger manifest of the flight MH370, but neither man boarded the plane, officials said.

Both had their passports stolen in Thailand over the past two years.

Airline rated one of world's safest | Explosions, systems failure caused crash |

Malaysia has launched a terror probe investigating the suspect passengers and the United States has sent in the FBI to assist.

Flight information seen by AFP shows that tickets were booked in Maraldi and Kozel's names on March 6, 2014, and issued in the Thai city of Pattaya, a popular beach resort south of the capital Bangkok.

The e-ticket numbers for their flights are consecutive and both were paid for in Thai baht.

Each ticket cost THB 20,215 (US$625).

Luigi Maraldi, an Italian man whose stolen passport was used by a passenger who boarded the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. Photo: AP.

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Missing Malaysia Airlines plane: Stolen passports booked onto second flight