 "Did Hezbollah's explosive pagers come from Bulgaria?")
A seemingly obscure Bulgarian company has emerged at the centre of a sprawling investigation into a series of deadly explosions targeting pagers and walkie-talkie radios used by Hezbollah, leaving dozens dead and over 3,000 injured in Lebanon earlier this week.
The explosions which took place in two waves of attacks, have placed Bulgaria under scrutiny, as new details suggest the Southeast European nation played a pivotal role in the global supply chain behind this unprecedented incident.
What has emerged in Bulgaria’s link to explosive pagers saga?
Bulgaria became a focal point on Thursday, as its national security agency (DANS) announced a joint investigation with the Ministry of Interior into a Sofia-based company, Norta Global Ltd, which allegedly facilitated the sale of thousands of pagers to Hezbollah.
These pagers, weaponised with explosives, detonated across Lebanon on Tuesday in a coordinated attack that security sources attribute to Israel.
Local media reports and national broadcaster bTV revealed that Norta Global was linked to a transaction worth 1.6 million euros, which passed through Bulgaria before being transferred to Hungary. This money trail is at the heart of the investigation, as authorities try to trace how the pagers were weaponised before reaching Hezbollah militants.
The role of Norta Global in this transaction is shrouded in mystery. The company, registered in April 2022, operates out of a shared office building in Sofia, which houses nearly 200 other companies.
Despite being registered at this location, media outlets have reported no visible sign of the firm’s activity. The firm’s founder Rinson Jose, a Norwegian national, has also not ben heard since.
Norta’s online presence also raised red flags. The company’s website, which had advertised consulting and technology integration services, was taken down on Thursday as the investigation gained traction.
Prior to its deletion, the website had operated in English, Bulgarian, and Norwegian, advertising a broad range of services, but with no specific mention of the pagers or its connection to Hezbollah.
What does the supply chain tell us?
The investigation has revealed that the pagers, AR-924 models manufactured by Taiwan’s Gold Apollo, were initially believed to have been sold by Hungarian-based BAC Consulting.
However, it soon became clear that BAC Consulting was merely a middleman. Its CEO, Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, told NBC News, “I don’t make pagers. I’m just the intermediary. I think you misunderstood the situation.”
Reports from the Hungarian news site Telex confirmed that BAC Consulting signed the contract with Gold Apollo, but it was Norta Global that handled the logistics. Norta imported the pagers from Taiwan and arranged their eventual sale to Hezbollah, all without the devices ever physically passing through Hungary.
This was later confirmed by the Hungarian government, with government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs clarifying that “the devices were never in Hungary.”
While the pagers were manufactured by Gold Apollo, they were sold to Hezbollah as part of an effort to strengthen the group’s communication network.
Hezbollah had long relied on pagers and handheld radios to avoid Israeli surveillance, following a directive from the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who labelled mobile phones as vulnerable to Israeli monitoring. The devices were part of a broader effort to establish secure communication lines within Hezbollah’s ranks.
However, investigators now believe that the pagers were tampered with after leaving Taiwan, possibly during transit in Europe. One theory suggests that the devices were intercepted and fitted with explosives before being distributed to Hezbollah.
Another possibility is that Israel’s Mossad played a more active role, establishing or infiltrating European companies to sabotage the pagers before they reached their final destination.
A Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah believed it was purchasing the pagers from Gold Apollo in Taiwan, unaware that the devices had been compromised.
The source added that it was far easier for Israeli intelligence to operate in Europe, making Hungary and Bulgaria ideal locations for such covert activities. “It is possible that the Mossad created a European company,” the source averred.
What do we know Rinson Jose, founder of Norta Global?
As Bulgaria’s state security agency, DANS, continues its investigation into Norta Global, questions swirl around its founder, Rinson Jose. A Norwegian citizen born in 1985, Jose has kept a low profile, with little to no digital footprint.
His LinkedIn profile reveals a background in business administration, with education in India and Oslo. Professionally, he has worked in various business roles in Norway and is registered on entrepreneurial platforms seeking partners and funding.
Despite his apparent lack of visibility, Jose’s involvement in Norta Global has placed him at the centre of a major international investigation. Norta Global’s business model remains murky, and its role in facilitating the sale of explosive devices to Hezbollah continues to raise suspicions.
Norta Global shares its registered address with almost 200 other companies, many of which are suspected shell companies. Bulgarian records show that the company has no employees and limited profits, which is often a sign of a front organisation used to obscure illicit activities.
Bulgarian media sources speculate that Norta Global was established specifically for this arms transaction and may have had little to no other legitimate business operations.
How is Norway linked to the pager explosions in Lebanon?
The investigation into the exploding pagers has triggered a cascade of reactions from multiple countries. In Norway, Oslo police have launched preliminary inquiries after Jose’s connection to Norta Global was uncovered.
Amund Djuve, CEO of DN Media, where Jose is currently employed, confirmed to Reuters that the company had alerted the police and security services. “We are taking these matters very seriously,” Djuve said, adding that Jose was currently traveling to the United States.
Meanwhile, Norway’s domestic intelligence agency, PST, has declined to comment on the matter but confirmed it is aware of the situation. Bulgarian authorities, led by DANS, continue to probe Norta Global’s operations, although no formal charges have been filed against the company or its founder as of yet.
The European Union has also called for a full investigation into the incident. Peter Stano, spokesperson for the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, cautioned against jumping to conclusions, stating, “We know what happened, but the causes and how it happened are still to be investigated.”
Stano also pointed out that Hezbollah’s military wing remains on the EU’s sanctions list, adding that companies must ensure their products do not end up in the hands of sanctioned entities.
Do we have all the answers?
As the investigation unfolds, several key questions remain unanswered. How exactly were the pagers weaponised? Did Norta Global’s founder, Rinson Jose, have knowledge of the explosive modifications, or was the company merely a pawn in a larger international operation? And what role, if any, did Israel play in orchestrating the attack?
What is clear is that the pagers — originally designed as communication devices — were transformed into deadly weapons, leading to one of the most complex arms-related scandals in recent memory.
With money transfers linked to Bulgaria, logistics handled by a Norwegian-owned company, and pagers manufactured in Taiwan, the global nature of this incident continues to deepen as investigators work to untangle the web of intermediaries, front companies, and covert operations involved in the explosive pagers saga.
The situation remains fluid.
With inputs from agencies
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