Investigation Launched into Explosive Pager Devices Linked to Israel's Intelligence Operations
Taiwanese authorities have initiated an investigation into Apollo, the manufacturer of the wireless communication devices known as pagers, which were involved in a deadly explosion among Lebanese Hezbollah members last Tuesday. Reports from ABC News and the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth cite an American intelligence source alleging that Israel played a significant role in the production of these pagers, a scheme that has reportedly been in the works for 15 years.
The intelligence source revealed that the operation involved the creation of fake companies and the deployment of Israeli intelligence officers to oversee the production of the pagers. Some individuals involved in the manufacturing process were allegedly unaware of the true nature of their work, raising ethical concerns about the operation.
The CIA reportedly refrained from employing such tactics due to potential risks to innocent lives, highlighting the moral complexities of using commercial enterprises for intelligence purposes. In response to these revelations, the Hungarian government clarified that the pagers were never produced in Hungary, asserting that the company involved was merely a commercial intermediary without any manufacturing presence in the country.
In Taiwan, prosecutors have questioned Shu-Ching Kuang, the chairman and founder of Gold Apollo, the company implicated in the manufacturing. Kuang stated that the hardware used in the attack was not produced by Gold Apollo but rather by Budapest-based BAC, which holds a license to utilize the brand. The Taiwanese Minister of Economy confirmed that components used in the pagers were not sourced from Taiwan, and investigations into the supply chain are ongoing.
The tragic incident in Lebanon resulted in at least 37 fatalities and nearly 3,000 injuries, as the pager devices detonated during Hezbollah communications, prompting concerns about the implications of such intelligence operations on civilian safety.
