THE 109 ethnic Uighurs deported from Thailand last week were on their way to join jihadist groups in the Middle East, China’s Ministry of Public Security claimed on Saturday.

The ministry said that 13 of them had fled China after being implicated in terrorist activities. Another two had escaped detention.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua said that a police investigation had uncovered several gangs recruiting people for jihad and that Turkish diplomats in some south-east Asian countries had facilitated the illegal movement of people.

The 109 were deported from Thailand a year after they were detained there, because authorities had determined that they were Chinese citizens.

Another group of Uighurs who had been granted Turkish citizenship were deported to Turkey and Uighur migrants ransacked the Thai consulate in Turkey in revenge.