In a tragic incident in Lebanon, hundreds of pagers belonging to Hezbollah exploded, killing 12 people and injuring over 2,750. The group blamed Israel for the explosions, claiming they had planted explosives in the devices. Analysts believe that the pagers, ordered by Hezbollah from a third party, were tampered with during the three-month delay at a port before reaching Lebanon. The explosive devices were possibly triggered by a hacked radio system or a doctored code, causing the batteries to overheat and explode.
The pagers were manufactured by a Hungarian company, BAC, through a licensing deal with a Taiwanese firm, Gold Apollo. However, Gold Apollo denied involvement in the manufacturing process, stating they only provided the brand trademark authorization. BAC, based in Budapest, has not commented on the situation. Hezbollah had ordered the pagers in February, following a directive from their leader to stop using cellphones due to the risk of interception by Israeli intelligence.
The evidence indicates that the explosive devices were placed in the pagers during the manufacturing process, possibly by adding metal balls around the batteries to increase lethality. BAC Consulting, registered in Budapest, is helmed by CEO Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, who has a background in business development and consultancy. Despite their registration at a residential address in Budapest, the company seems to have little physical presence there. Al Jazeera’s attempts to contact BAC for a response have been unsuccessful. The tragic explosion highlights the dangers of tampering with technology and the potential consequences of such actions.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
