Norwegian citizen linked to company under investigation for selling pagers to Hezbollah
By ChatGPT4o-Tome-Human Synthesis-19 Sept. 2024. Source VG
At least 12 dead and 3,000 injured after pager explosions in Lebanon. A Bulgarian company linked to the attack was founded by a man residing in Oslo. Oslo police confirm they are investigating the matter.
Bulgarian intelligence and Norway’s PST (Police Security Service) are investigating the case. The man's employer notified PST after being contacted by an American journalist.
“We can confirm that the police have initiated preliminary investigations into the information that has come to light and are continuously assessing any measures that may apply to the Oslo Police District,” operations leader Alexander Østerhaug wrote in a press release Thursday evening.
A company registered in Bulgaria is, according to a Hungarian newspaper, connected to the sale of the pagers to Hezbollah that exploded on Tuesday.
In the local founding documents of the company, seen by VG, a Norwegian citizen is listed as the owner. The documents include a passport number, date of birth, and signature. The individual, residing in Oslo, has not responded to VG's inquiries.
News agency Reuters reported that they reached the Norwegian on the phone Thursday, but he hung up after being questioned about the Bulgarian company.
Bulgaria’s state security agency confirmed in a press release that they are investigating a local company linked to the sale of the pagers.
At least 12 were killed and nearly 3,000 injured when pagers belonging to Hezbollah militia in Lebanon exploded on Tuesday. The next day, at least 25 were killed and over 500 injured when walkie-talkies exploded. Both Hezbollah, Lebanon, and other regional actors accuse Israel of being behind the attacks. The incident has escalated tensions in the Middle East.
In recent days, efforts have been made to understand how hundreds of pagers could explode simultaneously. The trail has led from Taiwan to Hungary, and now to Bulgaria and Oslo.
"PST is aware of this information, but I cannot comment further at this time," said Trond Hugubakken of PST to VG.
The pagers that exploded were of the Taiwanese brand Gold Apollo, but the company quickly claimed that the pagers were produced under license by the Hungarian company BAC Consulting.
The owner of this company denied on Wednesday that she was anything more than an intermediary.
Bulgarian intelligence also denied that they had cleared pagers through customs in Bulgaria from the local company allegedly founded by the Norwegian.
In a new statement Friday, the intelligence service said their investigations show that the Norwegian-owned company did not ship goods through Bulgaria.
Drawn blinds VG has attempted to contact the Norwegian citizen listed as the founder of the company in Bulgaria, both by phone and email, but has not yet received a response.
No one answers when VG knocks on the door where the man lives – according to Norwegian records. The lawn is uncut, and the blinds are drawn. A neighbor says they haven’t seen the man since summer vacation.
The man's employer notified PST The man's employer informed VG that he was contacted by an American journalist late Wednesday night and was presented with the allegations regarding the employee’s connection to the Bulgarian company.
“I checked some links and managed to see the same information he had seen. When I receive information that appears serious in such a sensitive case, it was natural for me to notify PST immediately,” says the man's employer.
He states that the man has been employed since 2020. He has been on a business trip abroad since Tuesday afternoon. The employer is trying to get in touch with him.
Heart for others VG spoke with a former friend of the man. She is surprised that his name is appearing in such a context and describes him as a man with great commitment and a heart for others.
"My entire network liked him a lot. He grew his hair for many years to donate it to cancer patients. That’s the kind of person I experienced him to be."
VG has contacted both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Oslo police regarding the case, but has not yet received a response.
Hungarian authorities have also not responded to VG’s inquiry about the case yet.
VG’s editorial decision Why we are not identifying the Norwegian linked to the exploding pagers VG has so far chosen not to use the name or image of the Norwegian citizen linked to a company under investigation for selling pagers to Hezbollah.
It is still unclear whether he had a role in the pager trade – and if so, what role. His identity may have been misused, and he could have been an unwitting party in the case.
PST is aware of the information, and the police are investigating the matter, but he is not suspected of any wrongdoing at this point. At the same time, the consequences of the exploding pagers are extremely serious, with a high number of injuries and several deaths. His potential role in the case is important to highlight.
VG has been attempting to contact the man since Thursday morning but has so far been unsuccessful. Obtaining his version is a central element in VG’s continued reporting.
Who is Rinson Jose? Indian techie's alleged involvement in Hezbollah pager attack worries friends, family
Keralite Rinson Jose is the sole owner of a Bulgaria-based firm that sold the pager to Hezbollah
By The Week/Web Desk Updated: September 20, 2024 21:46 IST
Rinson Jose
As the investigation into the alleged pager attack in Lebanon that killed several Hezbollah fighters picks up pace, the focus has shifted to an Indian techie based in Bulgaria. Kerala-based Rinson Jose is listed as the sole owner of Sofia-based Norta Global Ltd which allegedly facilitated the sale of the pagers to Hezbollah.
Though the devices initially looked like they were made by Taiwanese-based Gold Apollo, the company said the pagers were produced by a Hungarian company called BAC Consulting. However, new findings point to additional connections in Bulgaria and Norway.
Norta Global Ltd., a Bulgarian company registered in Sofia in April 2022, is now said to be one of the possible players who supplied the device, local media state that the Hungarian company was only involved on paper and the actual logistics were handled by Norta Global.
Rinson Jose is listed as the sole owner of Norta Global. A Keralite who migrated to Norway from the Wayanad district of Kerala, many Malayalis in Norway still remember him to be an active member of the Malayali community there. Having completed his MBA from Pondicherry University and Masters in International Social Welfare and Health Policy from Oslo, Rinson is now reportedly in the US.
However, reports claim that he has vanished after the news about the pager attacks broke. A source close to Norta Global Ltd told UK-based The Sun that the news has had his friends worried. "On learning he was linked to the Lebanon pager bombs some of his colleagues have tried to reach him, but he’s on a business trip in America and is not answering calls. He left on the trip on Tuesday, but it doesn’t make any sense why he isn’t responding to people given the seriousness of what is going on, something very strange is happening."
His family back in Wayanad's Mananthavady claim that they have no news from him. His parents are already under police radar with special branch sleuths and local police visiting the house. However, they have not been officially quizzed yet.
The family is said to be keeping indoors. They reportedly told police officials that they had no clue about their son. He used to call the family every day and when the family members tried to contact him on Friday, there was no response.
One of his relatives told Onmanorama that he had visited his home a few months back. However, none of his relatives are aware of him ever owning a company. “He never told me about a company he owns in Bulgaria or any of his business relationships there. We are very much worried as it is linked with the attack on terrorist outfits,” Aju John, a cousin of Rinson,.told onmanorama.
Bulgaria's National Security Agency has launched an investigation into the incident. However, it says the company has no employees, minimal profits, and is operating from an address linked to Agentsya Za Novy Firmy, a Bulgarian shell company agency.