India-born Rinson Jose, linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah pager blasts, goes missing; Norway issues international warrant

Norway has issued an international search warrant against Rinson Jose after the Kerala-born Norwegian businessman went missing while on a work trip to the US last week.

"On September 25, the Oslo police district received a missing person report in connection with the pager case. A missing persons case has been opened, and we have sent out an international warrant for the person," Reuters quoted Norwegian police as saying.

Jose, the founder of a Bulgarian company—Norta Global Ltd—was reportedly part of the pager supply chain to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that exploded in the third week of September amid escalating fears of a full-blown war in Middle East.

The reported pagers were detonated by Israel, resulting in over 30 deaths and injuries to thousands across Lebanon, reported BBC.

Local media reports indicate that the pagers were sold to Hezbollah through a Sofia-based company known as Norta Global Ltd founded in 2022 by Rinson Jose and declared a revenue of 650,000 euros ($725,000) for consulting activities outside the European Union last year.

Norway's security police (PST) have also launched a preliminary investigation into reports that a Norwegian-owned company was linked to the sale of the pagers.

Bulgaria, however, gave a clean chit to the company, saying that Norta Global had nothing to do with the delivery of exploding communications devices to the Iran-backed militant outfit.

The reports claim that the pagers were manufactured by a Hungarian firm, BAC Consulting, under the trademark of Taiwanese firm Gold Apollo, they were purportedly acquired through Norta Global.

According to a Times of India report, Jose—born in Ondayangadi village of Wayanad to a tailoring couple—last visited home in January this year. The publication quoted family sources to add that his brother stayed in the UK while his sister worked as a nurse in Ireland. The businessman lives in Norway with his wife.

Jose’s uncle, Thankachan, told Manorama Online that Rinson graduated from Mary Matha College, Mananthavady. He completed his MBA, and went to Norway as a caretaker and later shifted to some business firms. Uncle Thankachan further said they don't have any information about his job or his business in Norway.

(With inputs from Agencies)