Rinson Jose, a Kerala-born Norwegian businessman, has been implicated in the sale of pagers involved in the recent blasts in Lebanon through his company, Norta Global, according to a report by Hungarian news site Telex.
Norta Global, based in Sofia, Bulgaria, recently deleted its website, which previously showcased its technology consultancy services. The office of Norta could not be located at its registered address.
Rinson Jose declined to comment when approached by news agency Reuters. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian national security agency has launched an investigation into the allegations but denied any connection between the company and the delivery of pagers to Hezbollah.
They stated that the firm’s owner had not conducted any transactions related to the sale or purchase of items falling under terrorism financing laws.
In light of these developments, the Kerala Police and central government agencies are conducting background checks on Jose’s family in his hometown of Ondayangadi, Kerala, as reported by The Times of India.
Rinson Jose, the son of tailor Moothedath Jose and Gracy, resides in Norway with his wife. His family members are spread across the UK and Ireland, and his uncle Thankachan mentioned that they have been unable to contact him for the past three days.
While Bulgarian authorities have cleared Rinson Jose of any wrongdoing, Norway’s intelligence agency PST and the Oslo police continue to investigate the matter.
In addition to his role at Norta Global, Rinson has been with the Oslo-based DN Media Group for five years, possessing extensive experience with various brands and publications.
The pager explosions in Lebanon, reportedly targeting Hezbollah operatives, resulted in 12 fatalities and hundreds of injuries. Similar blasts in Syria caused an additional 14 deaths. The pagers involved were linked to the Taiwan-based company Gold Apollo, which has faced scrutiny regarding its operations.
While the president of Gold Apollo asserted that the pagers were manufactured by BAC Consulting, a Hungarian company, Telex reported that BAC Consulting did not engage in any business activities and lacked a physical office at its registered address.
Norta Global came under investigation due to its connections with BAC Consulting. The ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has intensified tensions following these explosive incidents, with Hezbollah officials vowing retaliation.
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