Wayanad (Kerala)-born, Indian-origin businessman Rinson Jose, in the latest development, has been linked to the Hezbollah pager blasts in Lebanon, which killed 12 people and left several others injured. As per media reports, Bulgaria-based Norta Global, a company owned by him, had a part in supplying the pagers.
Rinson Jose was born in Kerala's Wayanad and then, a few years ago, went to Norway to seek higher studies. He briefly worked in London before going back to Oslo. Speaking to news agency IANS, Rinson Jose's relatives have shared that he is currently settled with his wife in Oslo and has a twin brother based in London.
"We speak daily over the phone. However, for the last three days, we have had no contact with Jose. He is a straightforward person and we trust him fully. He will not be part of any wrongdoing. He may have been trapped in these blasts," a relative of the 37-year-old, said on Friday.
Thankachen, a relative of Rinson Jose, mentioned that the family has also been unable to contact his wife for several days. “We have not heard from her either,” he added, expressing concern.
The blasts in Lebanon, which involved explosive pagers, have killed several people and left many injured. Media reports have connected Rinson Jose to the incident, alleging that he supplied the explosives.
Norta Global, a company owned by him, which allegedly played a part in supplying the pagers, was founded by Rinson Jose in April 2022. It is based in Bulgaria's Sofia and declared a revenue of $725,000 (approximately Rs 6 crore) for consulting activities outside the EU last year.
As per the news agency AFP, Rinson Jose's LinkedIn page reveals that he also worked for nearly five years in digital customer support for the Norwegian press group DN Media.
On the other hand, Bulgarian state security agency DANS, on Friday, reported that the pagers used in the Lebanon blasts were not imported, exported, or manufactured in Bulgaria. It said that the "company and its owner had not carried out any transactions linked to the sale or purchase of the merchandise" or that "fall under laws on terrorism financing".
