Efforts to pinpoint the origins of the exploding pagers in Lebanon led to a Kerala-born Norwegian businessman this week. The attacks — attributed to Israel by security agencies — killed 12 people and injured more than 2,300 across the country amid escalating fears of a full-blown Middle East war. Leads have emerged in Taiwan, Hungary and Bulgaria since the attacks but the origins of the pagers and how they might have been weaponised remains unclear.
Local media reports indicate that the pagers were sold to Hezbollah through a Sofia-based company known as Norta Global Ltd. The company was founded in 2022 by Rinson Jose and declared a revenue of 650,000 euros ($725,000) for consulting activities outside the European Union last year.
Bulgarian authorities however insisted on Friday that the company had nothing to do with the delivery of exploding communications devices to the Lebanese militant group.
According to a Times of India report, central intelligence agencies and a special branch of the Kerala Police have already visited his native village in order to collect relevant information and ensure their safety. Family members told the publication that he had been unreachable by phone for the past three days.
Rinson — born in Ondayangadi village of Wayanad to a couple working as tailors — had last visited home in January this year. The publication quoted family sources to add that his brother stayed in the UK while his sister worked as a nurse in Ireland. The businessman currently lives in Norway with his wife.
(With inputs from agencies)
