A deadly attack where thousands of pagers in Beirut and Lebanon simultaneously exploded is leading to concerns over where in the global supply chain the devices were tampered with.
According to The New York Times, Israeli operatives hid explosive materials in Taiwanese-made pagers that were ordered by members of militant group Hezbollah and imported into Lebanon. The explosive materials in each pager reportedly weighed between one and two ounces, and included a switch that could set the explosives off remotely. In two separate attacks on September 17 and 18, the pagers received a message that triggered the explosives, killing 32 people and injuring more than 3,000 others. U.S. officials who spoke to the Times said that the devices were programmed to beep for several seconds before going off.
While officials have said that the pagers were originally ordered from Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo, the company has claimed that Hungarian consulting firm BAC was licensed to design and manufacture the devices. Leaders in Hungary have denied Gold Apollo’s allegations, asserting that the pagers never passed through their country at all. Photos of the devices after the attacks appeared to show Gold Apollo’s trademark, CNN reports. It remains unclear as to where or when the pagers were altered, or how anyone might have gained access to the devices before they made it off the assembly line.