Kerala-Born Businessman Linked To Pager Blasts? What Probe Indicates

Jose owns a company in Bulgaria that has been linked to the supply of the pagers.

The name of an Indian emigrant to Norway has cropped up in the investigation into the pager blasts aimed at Hezbollah operatives, which killed 12 people in Lebanon and left thousands injured. Now a Norwegian citizen, Rinson Jose migrated to the country from Wayanad in Kerala and reports had initially suggested that a company owned by the 37-year-old in Bulgaria was involved in the supply of the pagers to the militant group.

Initial investigations had revealed that the pagers, which had reportedly been modified by Mossad to hide three grams of explosives in each device, were manufactured by a Taiwan-based company, Gold Apollo. In a statement, the company said, however, that the pager model used in the blast, AR-924, was actually manufactured and sold by BAC Consulting KFT, a company based in Hungary’s Budapest, which had been authorised to use its trademark. 

Then, on Thursday, two days after the pagers exploded, Bulgarian state security agency DANS said it was coordinating with the country’s interior ministry and probing the role of a company, whose name was later revealed to be Norta Global Ltd. The company, which was registered in Sofia in 2022, was found to be owned by a Norwegian, Rinson Jose. 

A day later, on Friday, however, DANS said the pagers used in the blasts in Lebanon were not imported, exported or manufactured in Bulgaria. 

“Following verifications, it has been indisputably established that no communication equipment corresponding to those that exploded on September 17 was imported, exported or manufactured in Bulgaria,” the agency was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

It added that the company and its owner had “not carried out any transactions linked to the sale or purchase of the merchandise” or that “fall under laws on terrorism financing”.

Police in Norway’s Oslo said they have opened a “preliminary investigation into the information that has emerged”.

Wayanad To Oslo

According to a report by news agency IANS, Jose went to Norway to pursue higher studies a few years ago. He briefly worked in London before going back to Oslo. 

According to his LinkedIn page, he has also worked for almost five years in digital customer support for Norwegian press group DN Media, AFP reported. DN Media told newspaper Verdens Gang that he has been on an overseas work trip since Tuesday and that they have not been able to reach him.

Relatives told IANS that Jose is settled with his wife in Oslo and has a twin brother based in London. “We speak daily over the phone. However, for the last three days, we have had no contact with Jose. He is a straightforward person and we trust him fully. He will not be part of any wrongdoing. He may have been trapped in these blasts,” Thankachen, a relative of the 37-year-old, told the news agency on Friday. 

He added that they have not been able to contact Jose’s wife either. 

Norta Global, founded by Jose, declared a revenue of $ 725,000 (approximately Rs 6 crore) for consulting activities outside the European Union last year. 

(With inputs from agencies)