Bulgarian Firm Linked to Explosive Pagers Sold to Hezbollah (UPDATED)

A Bulgarian company has been linked to the sale of pagers that were used by Hezbollah and later exploded in Lebanon, according to a report by Hungarian publication Telex.hu. The devices, originally purchased from Taiwan, were allegedly sold to Hezbollah by Norta Global Ltd., a Sofia-based company owned by a Norwegian citizen. The transaction was facilitated by a Hungarian-registered firm, BAC Consulting Ltd., which acted as an intermediary.

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Update: In response to media reports suggesting that a Bulgarian-registered company supplied pagers to Hezbollah, which were later detonated in Lebanon and Syria, the State Agency for National Security (SANS) has confirmed that no customs operations related to these goods occurred within Bulgaria. SANS clarified that there were no customs transactions involving the implicated foreign companies and stated that its joint investigation with the National Revenue Agency and the Ministry of Internal Affairs aims to assess any potential involvement of the Bulgarian company in the supply chain. The investigation revealed that only cash flows totaling approximately 1.6 million euros passed through Bulgaria, which were subsequently sent to Hungary. GERB leader Boyko Borissov has called on SANS and the caretaker cabinet to address allegations from Hungarian media suggesting Bulgaria's involvement in the attack, demanding a swift explanation due to the rising tension and historical context of similar incidents.

Update 2: The company reported in world media as involved in supplying the pagers that exploded in Lebanon does not have an office in Sofia. An inspection by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) revealed that the address listed on Vitosha Boulevard is occupied by rental apartments and several offices, but not by the company in question.

The address is home to numerous other registered businesses, and there is no evidence suggesting that the Norwegian national who owns the company has ever visited Bulgaria.

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Telex's investigation revealed that Norta Global Ltd. was registered in April 2022 and claims to specialize in project management. However, documents show that BAC Consulting, whose managing director is Hungarian national Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, was responsible for signing the contract with Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese pager distributor. The pagers were imported from Taiwan to Bulgaria before being sold to Hezbollah.

In an interview with NBC News, Barsony-Arcidiacono confirmed her company’s involvement but stated that BAC Consulting was merely an intermediary and did not manufacture the pagers. Gold Apollo, the Taiwanese company, however, insists that BAC Consulting was responsible for designing and producing the AR-924 pagers and had the rights to distribute them under an agreement allowing the use of the Gold Apollo trademark in certain regions.

The explosion of the pagers has led to the deaths of 12 people and injuries to over 3,000 in Lebanon, with Hezbollah members being among the victims. Less than a day later, a second wave of explosions involving walkie-talkies killed 20 more people and injured over 450. Both incidents have drawn attention to the supply chain of these devices, raising concerns over their origins and distribution.

Hungarian officials confirmed that the pagers never entered Hungarian territory and that BAC Consulting acted only as a commercial intermediary. A government spokesman also noted that the company has no physical presence in Hungary. Despite these clarifications, the involvement of Norta Global Ltd. and its connection to Hezbollah has sparked questions about the broader network behind the sale of these compromised devices.