Thousands of pagers exploded in Lebanon, killing nearly 20 and injuring thousands of others. These blasts not only created a new wave of tension in the region but also uncovered a mysterious web of companies, shell firms and one surprising link to a Kerala-born Norwegian citizen, Rinson Jose.
Reports surfaced suggesting that Israel's spy agencies might have rigged the pagers with explosives, creating an intel map. As global investigators rushed to figure out how this was done, media outlets pointed to a Bulgarian company called Norta Global Ltd, which was founded by Rinson Jose. This company was reportedly behind the deal for the deadly pagers, according to Telex, a Hungarian media outlet.
However, an investigation by Bulgaria's National Security Agency (SANS) soon cleared Jose and his company of any wrongdoing.
How Did Rinson Jose Get Involved?
Jose, originally from Wayanad in Kerala, moved to Norway after completing his MBA. His name surfaced after Norta Global Ltd, a company he founded, was linked to the pagers involved in the explosions. Local media in Kerala quickly picked up on the story, reporting that Jose’s father, a tailor known as "Tailor Jose," had worked in the Mananthavady area. Jose’s family expressed concern about the unexpected link to such a high-profile and dangerous event.
Norta Global, based in Bulgaria, was identified as being involved in the deal for the pagers. However, a deeper investigation into the complex web of companies revealed that Norta Global, along with another firm, BAC Consulting, might have just been intermediaries. The pagers that exploded carried the brand name of a Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo, which denied producing the deadly devices. Gold Apollo's founder said that their name had been misused in this deal, and the pagers were actually linked to BAC Consulting, a shell firm possibly set up by Israel.
Investigation Clears Rinson Jose
Despite being drawn into the international investigation, the Bulgarian authorities found no evidence that linked Jose or his company, Norta Global, to the explosions. SANS conducted a thorough probe and confirmed that no communication equipment like the pagers in question had been imported or exported through Bulgaria.
This clean chit came as a relief to Jose’s family, who had been worried about the association with such a violent event.
Even though Rinson Jose has been cleared, the mystery behind who actually manufactured the pagers remains. The international attention on this case showed how far-reaching and complex the web of companies involved in such events can be.
