Two Turkish nationals who went missing in Malaysia have been arrested as a security threat, the police chief announced Wednesday, but a rights group raised concerns of possible pressure from Ankara for the detentions.

Axar.az reports citing to PressTV national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar tweeted that Turgay Karaman and Ihsan Aslan were arrested "because they threatened the security of Malaysia."

No further details were given and the Turkish embassy refused to comment.

Turkey's state-run news agency said in Ankara the pair were linked to a US-based preacher accused of organizing a failed coup last year.

Local media reports had been circulating allegations that both men had been abducted.

Another Turkish national Suheyl Ozcelik on Tuesday lodged a police report saying he had seen CCTV footage of five men abducting Karaman, a physics teacher, at a Kuala Lumpur car park.