From its digital identification, BAC Consulting – the Hungarian firm that allegedly manufactured the communication units that exploded and injured greater than 2,800 individuals in Lebanon – gives the look of being an organization determined to do something to generate profits.
The pagers, well-liked within the early 2000s, exploded concurrently on Tuesday afternoon, killing not less than 9 individuals and sending shockwaves around the globe. Israel reportedly positioned a small quantity of excessive explosive contained in the units earlier than they reached Lebanon just a few months in the past.
Earlier, India Immediately’s Open Supply Intelligence (OSINT) group recognized the producer of the pagers as Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, which later mentioned that the units have been manufactured by Hungary-based BAC Consulting KFT (Pvt Ltd) beneath an settlement authorizing it to fabricate and promote the AR-924 pagers beneath the Apollo model.
Official knowledge accessed by India Immediately reveals that BAC was based in Could 2022. Its LinkedIn web page affords companies within the areas of worldwide relations, telecommunications, surroundings, growth and innovation, and monitoring methods for overseas assist intervention.
In accordance with knowledge obtainable on the Hungarian Ministry of Justice web site, BAC is lively in just about each possible area: from baking, ebook publishing, software program and pc video games, jewellery manufacturing, agriculture, retailing of materials to grease extraction and knowledge processing.
In what seems to be a reference to Gold Apollo, BAC’s web site boasts of an “worldwide expertise cooperation” for the sale of “telecommunications merchandise” that entails increasing “an Asian enterprise” into new markets in creating international locations.
BAC additionally claims to be the knowledge coordinator for the European Institute of Innovation and Expertise of the European Fee in Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Malta, Latvia and Lithuania. BAC’s employees ranges from 2 to 10 individuals.
The corporate is run by Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, 49, of Italian origin, who describes herself as a “strategic advisor on innovation and inner affairs.” Cristiana says she earned a PhD in Physics from College School London and a diploma in Politics from the London Faculty of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
He claims to have labored with a number of worldwide organizations reminiscent of UNESCO and the Worldwide Atomic Power Company in Europe, the Center East and Africa through the years.
The CEO of BAC Consulting has additionally revealed 4 analysis articles on physics and local weather change. Cristiana frequently posts sketches on her Instagram profile and likewise affords consulting companies in arts and tradition.
She additionally posted content material that aligned with Hungary’s far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. In a LinkedIn publish a month in the past, Cristiana known as the federal government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “Nazi regime.”
Why does Hezbollah use pagers?
Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed armed group in Lebanon, makes use of pagers to stop Israeli companies from monitoring it and gathering intelligence. In February this yr, when it entered right into a restricted battle with Israel over the Gaza battle, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah requested his cadres to keep away from utilizing cell phones and use pagers as a substitute.
Pagers shouldn’t have GPS, microphones or cameras. They’ll solely obtain alphanumeric messages.
Reviews point out {that a} small quantity of PETN, a extremely explosive materials, was positioned within the units earlier than they have been despatched to Lebanon.
There are various opinions on how the explosive was remotely activated. Whereas some consultants mentioned the explosions may have been brought on by the rising temperature of the pagers’ lithium-ion batteries, different worldwide media stories mentioned the Mossad may have planted a microchip and activated the system utilizing a code despatched to all affected units.