Lebanon pager explosions: Probe turns toward Kerala man's company; financial dealings under scrutiny
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Sep 20, 2024, 12:21 PM ISTAn investigation into the pager explosion in Lebanon has focused on a company owned by Rinson John, a Malayali with Norwegian citizenship, due to potential financial dealings related to the purchase of pagers.
An investigation into the Lebanon pager explosion has turned toward a company owned by Rinson John, a Malayali with Norwegian citizenship. According to international media reports, his company was involved in the financial transactions related to the purchase of the pagers. However, investigative agencies have clarified that there is no direct evidence linking Rinson to the explosion itself. The origin of the explosives used in the pagers remains unknown.
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Pagers from a Taiwanese company recently exploded in Lebanon. However, the company stated that they did not manufacture the pagers, as they had granted a Hungarian company the right to use their logo. Investigations are being conducted in connection with the Hungarian company, which clarified that it did not produce the pagers but had subcontracted the work to a Norwegian company. This has led the investigation to extend to Norway and a Bulgarian company linked to a Malayali individual.
Rinson John's company is registered in Bulgaria and operates from the capital, Sofia. This company allegedly funded the production of pagers through another firm in Hungary. Bulgarian authorities have reportedly initiated a detailed investigation into Rinson John's company, though he has not yet responded to the allegations.
On Tuesday (Sep 17), hundreds of handheld pagers exploded simultaneously in various regions of Lebanon and Syria, resulting in multiple fatalities, including members of the militant group Hezbollah and a young girl, along with thousands injured. Officials attributed the attack to Israel, suggesting it was a sophisticated remote operation.
Among the injured was Iran's ambassador to Lebanon. This mysterious incident occurred amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which have been exchanging fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that ignited the conflict in Gaza.
The exploded pagers were recently acquired by Hezbollah after its leader instructed members to stop using cell phones, citing concerns about Israeli intelligence tracking. A Hezbollah official informed The Associated Press that these pagers were of a brand the group had not previously utilized.
Around 3:30 p.m. local time that day, pagers began to overheat and explode in the pockets and hands of users, particularly in a southern Beirut suburb, the Beqaa region of eastern Lebanon, and Damascus, where several Hezbollah members were injured, according to Lebanese security officials and a Hezbollah representative.
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