Hezbollah exploding pagers: Kerala-born Norwegian businessman linked to case disappears
Hezbollah pager blasts: While Bulgaria cleared Kerala-born Norwegian businessman Rinson Jose of any association, Norway is looking for him.
- Sep 30, 2024,
- Updated Sep 30, 2024 3:21 PM IST
Hezbollah pagers blast: Kerala-born Norwegian businessman, Rinson Jose, whose name had appeared in connection with the Hezbollah pagers blast case has now gone missing. Norway has issued an international warrant for Jose. The businessman’s firm was being probed for being part of the supply chain that provided the pagers to the Lebanon-based terrorist group.
Over thousands of Hezbollah fighters and medics were injured in Lebanon when their pagers started exploding. The group described the pager explosions as the ‘biggest security breach’ faced by the group in nearly a year of conflict with Israel. As many as 30 were reported dead in the attack.
Norta Global Ltd, a Bulgarian company was reportedly behind the pager deals, as per a Hungarian media outlet. Norta was founded by 39-year-old Norwegian citizen Rinson Jose in 2022. While Bulgaria cleared him of any association, Norway is looking for him. Jose is said to have disappeared while on a work trip to the US last week.
According to a report in Reuters, the Norwegian police have issued an international search request for Jose. "On September 25, the Oslo police district received a missing person report in connection with the pager case. A missing persons case has been opened, and we have sent out an international warrant for the person," Norwegian police said.
WHO IS RINSON JOSE?
Born in Wayanad, Jose had moved to Norway after completing his MBA. His uncle told Kerala-based channels that Rinson Jose had graduated from Mary Matha College, Mananthavady, and then moved to Norway after completing his MBA. He had moved to Norway as a caretaker and eventually made a move to working at business firms. His uncle said they are not very clear about the kind of jobs that Jose does.
Last week Norway’s security police launched a probe into reports that Jose-owned company was involved in the pagers case. "PST has initiated a preliminary investigation to determine whether there are reasons for starting a (full) investigation on the basis of allegations in the media that a Norwegian-owned company may have been involved in the dissemination of pagers to Hezbollah," said Norway security police lawyer.
While it was Taiwanese company Gold Apollo that was caught in the eye of the storm for making the pagers, the company’s president Hsu Ching-Kuang linked the exploding pagers to BAC Consulting, a Hungary-based company,with a three-year licencing agreement.
Media outlet Telex told Hungarian media that BAC was simply an intermediary in the transaction. The media report added that while BAC Consulting was the one that signed the contract with Gold Apollo, it was Norta Global that was actually behind the pagers deal. Neither BAC Consulting nor Norta have an office, and could possibly be shell companies.
Hezbollah pagers blast: Kerala-born Norwegian businessman, Rinson Jose, whose name had appeared in connection with the Hezbollah pagers blast case has now gone missing. Norway has issued an international warrant for Jose. The businessman’s firm was being probed for being part of the supply chain that provided the pagers to the Lebanon-based terrorist group.
Over thousands of Hezbollah fighters and medics were injured in Lebanon when their pagers started exploding. The group described the pager explosions as the ‘biggest security breach’ faced by the group in nearly a year of conflict with Israel. As many as 30 were reported dead in the attack.
Norta Global Ltd, a Bulgarian company was reportedly behind the pager deals, as per a Hungarian media outlet. Norta was founded by 39-year-old Norwegian citizen Rinson Jose in 2022. While Bulgaria cleared him of any association, Norway is looking for him. Jose is said to have disappeared while on a work trip to the US last week.
According to a report in Reuters, the Norwegian police have issued an international search request for Jose. "On September 25, the Oslo police district received a missing person report in connection with the pager case. A missing persons case has been opened, and we have sent out an international warrant for the person," Norwegian police said.
WHO IS RINSON JOSE?
Born in Wayanad, Jose had moved to Norway after completing his MBA. His uncle told Kerala-based channels that Rinson Jose had graduated from Mary Matha College, Mananthavady, and then moved to Norway after completing his MBA. He had moved to Norway as a caretaker and eventually made a move to working at business firms. His uncle said they are not very clear about the kind of jobs that Jose does.
Last week Norway’s security police launched a probe into reports that Jose-owned company was involved in the pagers case. "PST has initiated a preliminary investigation to determine whether there are reasons for starting a (full) investigation on the basis of allegations in the media that a Norwegian-owned company may have been involved in the dissemination of pagers to Hezbollah," said Norway security police lawyer.
While it was Taiwanese company Gold Apollo that was caught in the eye of the storm for making the pagers, the company’s president Hsu Ching-Kuang linked the exploding pagers to BAC Consulting, a Hungary-based company,with a three-year licencing agreement.
Media outlet Telex told Hungarian media that BAC was simply an intermediary in the transaction. The media report added that while BAC Consulting was the one that signed the contract with Gold Apollo, it was Norta Global that was actually behind the pagers deal. Neither BAC Consulting nor Norta have an office, and could possibly be shell companies.