Missing Malaysia Airlines flight 'was flown to Taliban-controlled area to be used at a later date'

It is believed the missing Boeing 777 could have been flown to somewhere in Afghanistan or a part of Pakistan

Missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 could now be in a Taliban-controlled base on the Afghanistan and north west Pakistan border, it has been claimed.

The search, now covering 11 countries, has so far offered very few clues on the whereabouts of the Boeing 777 which disappeared nine days ago from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Experts are now in agreement that the plane was hijacked or sabotaged and one theory that has been put forward is that it is being kept in a Taliban area ready for use at a later date, according to the Independent.

The plane is believed to have flown either to the north west from the Malaysian peninsula or south west.

If it was the former, then it could be in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan or Tajikistan.

As part of the investigation police are looking into the backgrounds of captain  Zaharie Ahmed Shah, 53, and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, and their homes have been searched.

Analysis is also taking place on flight simulators built by Mr Shah and found at his home.

A flight engineer who was a passenger on the plane is also being investigated.

Malaysian national Mohd Khairul Mari Selamat, 29, is believed to have worked for a private charter jet company and is being probed as authorities look into anyone who had technical flying knowledge.

Meanwhile a senior US congressman has said the disappearance of the aircraft was no accident.

Congressman Michael McCaul, Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, said the disappearance of flight MH370 on March 8 "was an intentional, deliberate act to bring down this airplane."

Congressman McCaul told Fox News that there were a lot of "warning signs" surrounding the flight, including stolen passports used by two Iranian passengers and one-way tickets bought with cash "that hijackers are known to do."

"We don't have any evidence that this is terrorist related, although you can't rule that out," he said.

"I think all the evidence is pointing towards the cockpit, towards the pilot and co-pilot."

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