In a stunning development following the synchronised pager explosions in Lebanon on Tuesday, it has been revealed that Israel utilised a shell company to not only manufacture such devices but also rig them with explosives before supplying them to the militant group Hezbollah.
Initial reports had suggested that Israeli intelligence had infiltrated the supply chain to plant explosives in existing pagers. New findings from The New York Times indicate that Israel actively set up a shell company to produce the pagers from the ground up.
Additionally, sources from Tehran’s Mehr News Agency report that Israel created at least two other companies to further disguise the identities of those involved in the pager production.
Amid increasing fears of infiltration by Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah urged his members to steer clear of modern communication devices like cellphones, which could be hacked and weaponised against them.
In response, Hezbollah shifted to using pagers for secure communication, ordering thousands from a Hungary-based company, BAC, which managed to penetrate Hezbollah’s ranks.
Notably, one of the pagers ended up in the possession of the Iranian ambassador in Beirut. The recent pager explosions confirmed the threat, as the device with the ambassador detonated, injuring the Iranian diplomat, who plays a significant role in coordinating Hezbollah’s actions against Israel.
After Hezbollah’s mass order for pagers, Israeli intelligence reportedly set up a shell company named BAC Consulting. This firm was said to operate under a three-year brand-licensing agreement with the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo.
On Wednesday, Gold Apollo clarified that the pagers involved in the detonations were not manufactured by them, but rather by a company named BAC, which holds a license to use its brand.
Based in Hungary, BAC Consulting appeared to manufacture pagers for various clients using this agreement, as reported by The Independent. But behind the scenes, the company was allegedly producing modified pagers outfitted with the powerful explosive PETN, specifically targeting Hezbollah, according to The New York Times.
Despite such claims, BAC Consulting’s CEO, Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, refuted allegations that her company was involved in making the explosive devices. She stated that BAC was merely a link in the supply chain and did not manufacture the pagers.
The American newspaper cited three intelligence officers briefed on the operation, labeling BAC as an Israeli front company.
Former Israeli intelligence officials revealed to the news outlet that BAC Consulting produced standard pagers for civilian customers, while also manufacturing devices equipped with explosives, which began shipping to Lebanon in mid-2022.
Earlier this year, the importation of such pagers intensified, leading to their widespread adoption among Hezbollah members, who mistakenly believed they were utilising secure communication tools. Israeli intelligence referred to such devices as “buttons,” as they could be remotely detonated at strategic moments.
The anonymous officials detailed how Israel secretly created pagers and walkie-talkies embedded with explosives as part of a larger strategy to undermine Hezbollah’s operational effectiveness.
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On Tuesday, an order was issued to activate the explosive-laden pagers, which emitted a beep at 3:30 PM. According to various intelligence sources cited by The New York Times, Israel transmitted a signal that triggered the devices.
The result was immediate chaos across Lebanon, leaving Hezbollah’s members in a state of shock and devastation.
As the explosions rocked Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, it became clear that Israel’s intentions extended beyond merely sending a message to Hezbollah; it appeared to be a precursor to a much larger operation.
