The search for those responsible for the deadly explosion in Lebanon is intensifying, with Taiwanese company Gold Apollo clarifying its role in the incident. The explosion, which occurred on Tuesday, resulted in the deaths of at least nine individuals and injured thousands more, was linked to AR-924 pagers produced by Gold Apollo's Hungarian partner, Bac Consulting Kft. According to Gold Apollo, while they authorized Bac to use their brand for sales in specific regions, the design and manufacturing of the pagers were entirely the responsibility of Bac. The company firmly denied allegations from the New York Times suggesting that they manufactured and sold the devices directly to Hezbollah, stating, 'These are not our products from start to finish.'
In a media briefing, Gold Apollo's chairman, Hsu Ching-kuang, explained that their relationship with Bac has been ongoing for three years under a brand licensing agreement. Hsu stated, 'They also wanted to make pagers and asked me if they could use our company's brand.' This situation raises concerns about how explosives were integrated into the pagers, hinting at a sophisticated infiltration by Israeli intelligence into Hezbollah's supply chain. Reports indicate that Israeli operatives intercepted the beepers before they reached Lebanon, modifying them to include explosives and a detonator, which detonated after a message purportedly from Hezbollah leadership activated the device.
