Bulgaria Probes Company Linked to Explosive-Rigged COM Devices Sold to Hezbollah
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Bulgaria's state security agency is investigating a company connected to the sale of explosive-rigged pagers to Hezbollah, which were involved in a deadly explosion in Lebanon earlier this week, the agency said on Thursday.
Bulgaria's state security agency, DANS, announced it is collaborating with the interior ministry to investigate the involvement of a company registered in Bulgaria, though the company’s name was not disclosed.
Local media reports allege that a Sofia-based company, Norta Global Ltd, played a role in facilitating the sale of the pagers that exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday, killing 11 people and injuring 4,000.
Company officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the lawyer who registered the company at a Sofia apartment block also declined to answer questions by Reuters.
Images of the destroyed pagers showed a design consistent with those produced by Taiwan's Gold Apollo. Gold Apollo claimed on Wednesday that the pagers were manufactured by Budapest-based B.A.C. Consulting.
However, Hungarian news outlet Telex cited sources claiming that the sale was facilitated by a Sofia-based company called Norta Global Ltd.
DANS confirmed that it had not detected any shipments of the pagers passing through Bulgaria.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Israeli intelligence used a shell company to deliver communication devices, rigged with explosives, to Hezbollah, triggering this week's coordinated attack.
The explosions, which occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday, killed over 30 people, including four children, and injured thousands. People were using the rigged pagers, walkie-talkies, and other devices when they exploded.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack.
The New York Times, citing 12 anonymous defense officials, detailed how the devices, initially sourced from the Hungarian company, B.A.C. Consulting, were secretly modified by Israeli intelligence.
The devices, distributed through an intermediary, Taiwan’s Gold Apollo, contained batteries filled with PETN, an explosive known for its ability to evade detection during security checks.