SEPANG, March 9 — Putrajaya is probing the possibility of terror links in the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein confirmed today.

The minister confirmed reports on the possibility that at least four passengers in the aircraft had boarded with stolen passports, saying a probe on the identities of those listed in flight’s manifest is underway.

He would not disclose, however, the immigration’s standard operating procedures, insisting that while the matter cannot be taken lightly, investigators have yet to decide if there was any “security risk” involved in the missing plane.

“We are in touch with intelligence agencies, and counter-terrorism units from all the relevant units had been informed,” he told a scheduled press conference at the Sama-Sama Hotel in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

Earlier today, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is sending its agents to Malaysia “to support the investigation into the disappearance of Flight MH370”, as air search operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane continued.

The report emerged following claims of suspected terror links and hijacking after two passengers in MH370’s manifest confirmed that they never boarded the flight and their passports had been stolen some time ago.

When asked of the possibility of the plane being hijacked, Hishammuddin stressed that the authorities are looking at “all possibilities”.

“We haven't even decided there was a security risk at all,” he said when asked if there was a security lapse.

The 12-year-old Boeing B777-200 aircraft was last heard from when it was travelling some 120 miles off the coast of Kota Baru at about 1.30am yesterday, 40 minutes after it left KLIA at 12.41am.