International Arrest Warrant Issued for Norwegian Citizen Linked to Hezbollah Beepers

Norway has issued an international arrest warrant for one of its citizens on charges related to a company based in Bulgaria, which has been implicated in investigations concerning the explosion of beepers used by Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. The simultaneous explosion of thousands of Hezbollah beepers on September 18 of this year in Lebanon and parts of Syria, followed by a similar explosion the next day affecting hundreds of radios and other communication equipment, resulted in at least 39 deaths and thousands of injuries. A week after these unprecedented events, Reuters reported that 1,500 Hezbollah members were blinded or lost limbs in the explosions, citing Lebanese sources. On Thursday, October 5, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Criminal Investigation Service announced that an international arrest warrant had been issued by the Oslo police against a Norwegian citizen. The organization refrained from naming the individual, but major Norwegian media reported that a 39-year-old man, who also holds Indian citizenship, has lived and worked in Norway for 12 years and has 'disappeared' during a trip to the United States this week, is under investigation in connection with a Bulgaria-based company. The employer of this wanted man in Norway, previously identified as Rinson Yousse or Jose, told the media that he had attempted to contact his employee but was unsuccessful. Why does Hezbollah use beepers? Yousse has previously been identified as the founder of 'Norta Global Limited'. However, the Norwegian Criminal Investigation Service stated that its investigations are not yet formalized and there is no specific suspicion against the wanted individual. In addition to the company registered in Bulgaria, the names 'Bac Consulting', a company registered in Hungary, and the Taiwanese company 'Gold Apollo' have also come up in connection with the supply chain of beepers sent to Hezbollah. The governments of Hungary, Taiwan, and Bulgaria have distanced themselves from this issue, emphasizing that the companies were not the manufacturers of the exploded communication equipment. Hezbollah and its main supporter, the Islamic Republic of Iran, have attributed the explosive operations on communication equipment to Israel. What we know about the connection of several companies to Hezbollah's beepers The New York Times reported that the beepers were deliberately tampered with before being sent to Hezbollah. Some global media have speculated about the involvement of Unit 8200 of the Israeli military intelligence in this matter. According to CNN on October 6, Lebanese officials stated that Israel had embedded explosives in the batteries of these devices. Two senior Lebanese security officials told CNN that very advanced technology had been used, making detection impossible. Israel has remained silent regarding any responsibility for these events. Benjamin Netanyahu hinted about a week later that his country had dealt 'blows' to Hezbollah that the group could not have imagined. It was unclear whether Mr. Netanyahu's reference was to targeted attacks by the Israeli army against senior Hezbollah commanders in their secret meetings, such as Ibrahim Aqil and all commanders of the 'Rizwan' battalion, or to the explosions of beepers and communication equipment. The explosions have instilled fear in the Islamic Republic of Iran and all its allied groups in the region. Reuters reported this week, citing security sources in Iran, that the Revolutionary Guards have abandoned the use of this equipment for fear of similar explosions occurring again and have begun investigations against their senior and mid-level officials on suspicion of infiltration and possible connections to Israel. News agencies also reported that Iran's proxy groups in Iraq and Palestinian militants in the West Bank have strictly prohibited the use of this equipment due to concerns about the consequences of continuing to use it.