Shafaq News/ A global investigation has zeroed in on Bulgaria and Norway as key points in a probe aimed at uncovering the source that supplied Hezbollah with thousands of pagers, which exploded this week in Lebanon, delivering a heavy blow to the Lebanese militant group.
Security sources indicated that “Israel was responsible for the explosions on Tuesday, which resulted in the deaths of 12 people and injuries to over 2,300 others, further escalating the ongoing conflict between the two sides.” Israel has not commented directly on the attacks.
The exact method of how the attack on the pagers was carried out, or who may have assisted in the process, remains unclear, though possible leads have emerged in Taiwan, Hungary, and Bulgaria. The timeline and method of planting explosives in the pagers to enable remote detonation are still unknown.
The same questions apply to hundreds of other portable communication devices used by Hezbollah, which also exploded on Wednesday in a second wave of attacks.
One theory suggested that “the pagers were intercepted and rigged with explosives after they left the factory.” Another posits that “Israel orchestrated the entire deadly supply chain.”
On Thursday, Bulgarian authorities announced that the Ministry of Interior and security services had launched an investigation into a possible connection between a Bulgarian company and the matter. The name of the company under investigation has not been disclosed.
However, local media reports suggest that “a company named Norta Global Ltd., based in Sofia, facilitated the sale of the pagers to Hezbollah.” Bulgarian television channel BTV, citing security sources, reported that “€1.6 million linked to the purchase had passed through Bulgaria before being transferred to Hungary.”
Reuters was unable to confirm BTV's report, and attempts to contact Norta Global Ltd. via its listed email address were unsuccessful. The company's founder declined to comment.
Photos of the exploded pagers analyzed by Reuters appeared to match those produced by Taiwan-based company Gold Apollo. However, Gold Apollo stated that the pagers were actually manufactured by PAC Consulting, a company based in Budapest, Hungary.
PAC Consulting's owner and CEO, Cristiana Barson Archidiacono, did not respond to multiple requests for comment via phone and text. She told NBC News that her company works with Gold Apollo but is not involved in manufacturing the pagers. “I am just the intermediary. I think there has been a misunderstanding,” she added.
Hungarian news site Telex cited sources saying that “Norta Global Ltd. coordinated the sale of the pagers.”
Norta Global is registered in a residential building in Sofia, which houses nearly 200 other companies, according to local corporate records. There was no visible sign of the company at the location. As of Thursday, Norta Global’s website had been taken down.
Before being deleted, the site—available in English, Bulgarian, and Norwegian—advertised services such as consulting, technology, staffing, and outsourcing. A cached version of the site reviewed by Reuters stated, "Looking for a flexible company to help you succeed or find the right tech solution? Look no further."
Norta Global’s founder, Rinson José, who lives in Norway, declined to comment on the pager incident and ended the call when asked about the company's operations in Bulgaria.
Neighbors in a quiet Oslo suburb said they knew little about José. Amon Gov, CEO of DN Media, where José currently works, told Reuters that he was aware of the reports and had informed the police and security services. He added that José was traveling to the United States. "We take these matters seriously," Gov said.
Oslo police confirmed they had launched "preliminary investigations concerning new information." Norway’s domestic intelligence service, PST, also acknowledged the situation but declined to provide further details.
There is no evidence suggesting a connection between DN Media and Norta Global.
A neighbor told Reuters that Cristiana Barson Archidiacono from PAC Consulting vacated her Budapest apartment on Wednesday. A Reuters reporter at the scene noted the apartment door was partially open on Wednesday but had been shut by Thursday morning. No one answered the door.
A Lebanese security source informed Reuters that Hezbollah believed “it had ordered the pagers from Gold Apollo and that they were being manufactured in Asia, not Europe.”
The source added that Hezbollah considered it far easier for Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, to operate in Hungary. “It is possible that Mossad set up a European company,” the source said.