A photo taken on September 18, 2024, in Beirut’s southern suburbs shows the remains of exploded pagers on display at an undisclosed location. The pagers were used by Hezbollah and the attack has been blamed on Israel / AFP
Two individuals linked to Taiwanese companies have been questioned as part of an ongoing investigation into the recent explosions of pagers used by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon. The blasts, which occurred earlier this week, killed at least 37 people and injured nearly 3,000. However, top Taiwanese officials insist that the devices were not produced on the island.
The incident has sparked widespread speculation about where the devices originated and how they were supplied to Hezbollah. On Tuesday and Wednesday, hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies exploded across Lebanon, causing significant casualties.
The New York Times reported earlier this week that Israel had inserted explosive materials into a shipment of pagers produced by Taiwan’s Gold Apollo, citing unnamed American and other officials.
However, Gold Apollo’s CEO, Hsu Ching-kuang, denied that his company manufactured the devices, instead blaming Hungary-based partner BAC Consulting KFT, which had been licensed to use Gold Apollo’s trademark.
Local media reported that the second person questioned was Wu Yu-jen, a representative associated with BAC Consulting KFT, who had set up a Taipei-based company called “Apollo Systems.”
“Our country takes this case very seriously,” the Shilin District Prosecutor’s Office in Taipei said in a statement. The two individuals were released after multiple rounds of questioning.
“We will clarify the facts as soon as possible, including whether Taiwanese companies were involved or not,” the office added.
