Rinson Jose, an Indian-born entrepreneur and Norwegian citizen, has reportedly been connected to the pager explosions that have resulted in at least 12 fatalities and thousands of injuries in Lebanon. Originally from wayanad in Kerala, Jose now lives in Oslo, norway, with his wife.
Jose is said to own Norta Global, a company registered in bulgaria, and is believed to have supplied the explosive devices used in the attacks. The pagers involved were manufactured by a Hungarian company, BAC Consulting, under the brand of a Taiwanese firm, gold Apollo, and are thought to have been acquired via Norta Global.
Is Jose Responsible for the Attacks?
According to the UK-based Daily Mail, there is currently no evidence suggesting that Jose was aware of any secret plan to equip the pagers with explosives or that the final buyer was working with Israeli security forces. Norta Global LTD is registered at an apartment building in Budapest that hosts nearly 200 other companies. Following news of Jose's alleged connections to the explosions, his relatives expressed their trust in him, stating he would not be involved in any wrongdoing. “We talk daily, but we haven’t been in touch for the last three days. He is a straightforward person and we fully trust him. He may have been caught up in these events,” said Thankachen, a relative, according to IANS.
Thankachen added that they had also lost contact with Jose’s wife. Years ago, Jose moved to norway for higher education, briefly worked in London, and later returned to Oslo. Besides managing his own company, he also works in Oslo and has a twin brother living in London. A neighbor in wayanad described Jose as a nice person whom he has known for a long time.
Who Is Responsible for the Explosions?
On friday, authorities in taiwan and bulgaria denied any involvement in the supply chain of the pagers that detonated in a deadly attack against Hezbollah. The incidents, which included another explosion involving handheld radios used by Hezbollah, have resulted in a total of 37 deaths and around 3,000 injuries.
The specifics of how the pagers were weaponized and detonated remain unclear, prompting an investigation involving authorities from taiwan, bulgaria, norway, and Romania. While there has been speculation about Israel's role in the explosions, the country has not officially commented on the attacks.
Statements from taiwan and Bulgaria
Taiwan’s gold Apollo has stated that it did not produce the devices used in the attacks and that BAC Consulting, the Hungarian company associated with the pagers, had a license to use its brand. Taiwan's Economy minister Kuo Jyh-huei mentioned that the components involved were primarily low-end integrated circuits and batteries.
Bulgaria has also drawn attention in the investigations after reports indicated that Sofia-based Norta Global Ltd was implicated in the sale of the pagers. However, Bulgaria’s state security agency, DANS, asserted on friday that it had “indisputably established” that no pagers used in the Lebanese attacks were imported from, exported to, or manufactured in Bulgaria.