A Kerala-born man, Rinson Jose, has been implicated in the investigation into a series of deadly pager blasts in Lebanon, which targeted Hezbollah operatives. These blasts, which resulted in the deaths of 12 people in Lebanon and 14 in Syria, have drawn attention to Jose’s Bulgarian-based company, Norta Global Ltd. The company is suspected of facilitating the movement of explosive-laden pagers to the militant group.
Rinson Jose, originally from Wayanad, Kerala, migrated to Norway over a decade ago and became a citizen there. He founded Norta Global, a firm registered in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2022, which allegedly played a role in supplying the communication devices. The pagers involved were initially thought to be manufactured by Taiwanese firm Gold Apollo but were later traced to a Hungarian firm, BAC Consulting, with Norta Global handling logistics. Jose’s company was later found to be a shell entity, and investigators discovered that it was registered at a fictitious address.
Although Bulgarian authorities have denied any direct link between Jose’s company and the transaction, the investigation remains active, with international scrutiny on his involvement. His family in Kerala, unaware of his business activities, has expressed shock at the allegations. Meanwhile, Jose, who holds a degree in International Social Welfare and Health Policy from Oslo Metropolitan University, has not been reachable for several days.
Indian authorities, along with their Bulgarian counterparts, continue to explore the connections between Jose’s firm and the explosive devices, with Indian agencies conducting background checks on his family. Despite ongoing investigations, Jose has yet to make any public statements regarding the accusations.
This case is evolving as authorities delve deeper into the international network that may have facilitated the devastating blasts in Lebanon.
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