Investigation into Hezbollah pager attacks links Indian emigrant to Norway

The investigation into the tragic pager explosions that killed 12 people and injured thousands in Lebanon has revealed a connection to an Indian expat living in Norway.

Rinson Jose, a 37-year-old Norwegian national from Wayanad in Kerala, has come into the public eye after reports suggested that a company he owns in Bulgaria was allegedly linked to the supply of the pagers used in the attacks.

According to initial findings, the pagers in question were modified by the Mossad to conceal explosives. These devices were reportedly initially manufactured by the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo. However, Gold Apollo clarified that the AR-924 model used in the attacks was actually manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT, a Budapest-based company authorized to use the trademark.

On Thursday, just days after the explosions, Bulgaria's State Security Service DANS announced its cooperation with the Interior Ministry to investigate the role of a company called Norta Global Ltd., registered in Sofia in 2022 and owned by Rinson Jose.

However, given the rapidly evolving situation, DANS on Friday retracted earlier claims, saying: “After checks, it has been irrefutably established that no communication equipment equivalent to that which exploded on September 17 has been imported, exported or manufactured in Bulgaria.” The agency stressed that neither Jose nor his company were involved in transactions related to the pagers or violated terrorist financing laws.

In response to new details, police in Oslo have launched preliminary investigations.

Rinson Jose emigrated to Norway several years ago for higher education and worked briefly in London before settling in Oslo. His LinkedIn profile indicates almost five years of experience in digital customer support at DN Media, a well-known Norwegian press group. The company confirmed that he has been on a business trip abroad since Tuesday and was unavailable.

Family members expressed concern, pointing out that Jose was honest and would not engage in illegal activities. Relatives said they have not been able to reach him or his wife in recent days. One family member stated: “We trust him completely… he could have been caught in those explosions.”

Norta Global, the consulting firm founded by Jose, reported revenue of around $725,000 from activities outside the European Union last year.