Norway’s safety police (PST) have launched a preliminary investigation into studies {that a} Norwegian-owned firm was linked to the sale of pager of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that exploded Final week, a police lawyer instructed Reuters.
Final week, over a two-day interval, 1000’s of pagers and walkie-talkies utilized by Hezbollah operatives went off in Lebanon, killing at the very least 39 individuals and wounding 1000’s. The assaults are believed to have been the work of Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.
It’s unclear how and when the pagers had been weaponised in order that they might be detonated remotely. Taiwan, Hungary and Bulgaria are already investigating doable hyperlinks within the provide chain.
“The PST has launched a preliminary investigation to find out whether or not there are grounds to launch a (full) investigation based mostly on allegations within the media {that a} Norwegian-owned firm could have been concerned in distributing pagers to Hezbollah,” PST lawyer Haris Hrenovica stated in a textual content message to Reuters.
He beforehand instructed Norwegian information company NTB that police had no particular suspicions in the meanwhile.
Bulgarian authorities stated final week they had been investigating Sofia-based firm Norta International Ltd after a Hungarian media outlet reported it was concerned in facilitating the sale of the pagers.
The corporate was based in 2022 by Norwegian citizen Rinson Jose, 39, in response to Bulgaria’s company registry. He signed the corporate’s articles of incorporation on the Bulgarian consulate in Oslo, in response to paperwork reviewed by Reuters.
Jose declined to touch upon the pagers when reached by telephone final Wednesday and hung up when requested concerning the Bulgarian subject. He didn’t return repeated calls and textual content messages.
When Reuters tried to name him on Tuesday this week, the decision was directed to an answering service.
Jose’s Linkedin profile exhibits he has labored for DN Media Group since February 2020. DN Media Group stated he labored within the gross sales division and left for a convention in Boston on September 17.
In line with Norwegian media, he final contacted his colleagues by e mail on September 18. His employer instructed Reuters it had not been in a position to contact him since then.
Reuters has discovered no proof linking Norta International to DN Media Group.
