Norway Launches Investigation into Reported Links to Exploding Pagers in Lebanon, According to Reuters

By Nerijus Adomaitis

OSLO – Norway’s security police (PST) have launched a preliminary investigation into allegations that a Norwegian-owned company may have been involved in selling pagers to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which detonated last week, according to a police attorney.

Over a span of two days, numerous pagers and walkie-talkies associated with Hezbollah operatives exploded in Lebanon, resulting in at least 39 fatalities and numerous injuries. The incidents are widely attributed to actions taken by Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.

The specifics regarding how the pagers were converted into explosive devices remain unclear, and investigations are currently underway in Taiwan, Hungary, and Bulgaria to trace potential connections in the supply chain.

"PST has initiated a preliminary investigation to determine if there are grounds for a full investigation based on media allegations that a Norwegian-owned company may have been involved in distributing pagers to Hezbollah," PST lawyer Haris Hrenovica mentioned via text message. Earlier, he stated to a Norwegian news agency that the police do not have any specific suspicions at this moment.

Bulgarian authorities reported that they are looking into Sofia-based Norta Global Ltd following a Hungarian media report suggesting its involvement in facilitating the pager sales.

Founded in 2022 by Norwegian citizen Rinson Jose, 39, Norta Global Ltd registered its articles of association at the Bulgarian consulate in Oslo, as indicated in corporate records reviewed.

When contacted by phone last Wednesday, Jose refrained from commenting on the pagers and disconnected the call when queried about the Bulgarian business. He did not respond to multiple calls and messages. On Tuesday, calls to his number were redirected to an answering service.

Jose’s LinkedIn profile notes his employment at DN Media Group since February 2020, where he works in sales. The company reported that he traveled to a conference in Boston on September 17.

According to Norwegian media, he last emailed his colleagues on September 18, and his employer has since been unable to contact him.

No evidence has been found linking Norta Global to DN Media Group.