PROFILE - Mystery shrouds Hungary firm allegedly manufactured explosive pagers

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – The mystery shrouded a Hungary-based company that allegedly manufactured the small messaging device pagers that were filled with explosives and blasted in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday.

A video of the office, according to the address provided on its website, clearly shows that it is located in a residence in Budapest. However, later on Wednesday afternoon, the website became inaccessible, and the firm also did not respond to Anadolu's repeated attempts to obtain clarification on the entire issue, which appeared to point fingers at it.

On Tuesday, at least 12 people, including 2 children, were killed and nearly 2,800 others injured in a mass explosion of pager communication devices in different areas across Lebanon, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad.

Hezbollah confirmed that at least two of its members were killed and several more injured in the pagers’ explosions, and it held Israel fully responsible for the incident, vowing "retaliation." Though, Israel has not responded to the pagers’ blasts.

A batch of 5,000 pager devices imported by Hezbollah five months ago was “almost certain" to have been rigged with explosives before arriving in Lebanon, a former Lebanese brigadier general said on Wednesday.

The wireless devices “were rigged with several grams of hard-to-detect explosives, placed in the battery in a way that ensures they can’t be detected by sensors or any explosive detection tools,” Mounir Shehada, the government’s former coordinator with the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL, told Anadolu.

Earlier on Wednesday, Taiwanese firm Gold Apollo Corporation denied making pager devices that exploded, explaining in a statement that the company has established a long-term private label authorization and regional agency cooperation with BAC company, which has a license to use its brand.

"According to the agreement, we authorize BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in specific regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are entirely handled by BAC," it said.

The BAC Consulting KFT is based in Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

Earlier on Wednesday, the company website was an ordinary page filled with generic images and information, including the services offered by the company.

“We work internationally as agents of change with a network of consultants who put their knowledge, experience, and humanity into our projects in a connecting and authentic journey!” the BAC Consulting KFT said on its website.

Cristina Arcidiacono-Barsony was listed as the CEO and founder of BAC Consulting KFT.

According to the website, she has “acquired an international experience (EU, Africa, MEA) over several years enjoying various roles” such as “strategic advisor for major International Organizations including Financial companies (Venture Capitals, IAEA, UNESCO, CNRS, EC, etc.),” and “business developer and savvy analyst for Innovative Solutions in diverse fields (Sustainable Development (SDGs), Water, Energy, Resilience-Mitigation-Adaptation, Capacity Building, Complex Emergencies, Digitalization (AI, Blockchain, ICT) within Humanistic Economy).”

She explains that this “diverse background” allows her to work on “projects and programs of broad scope and complexity spanning fields as varied as innovation, environment, and geopolitics.”

Among the listed “Partner Projects” on the website are “Nelkhael Jewels,” “Ars,” “16 Minutes of Fame,” and “Nos Morilles Sauvages de la Patagonie Argentine,” without giving much detail.

The address listed on the company's website is "Szonyi ut 33/A" in Budapest, which appears to be a private residence according to online maps and video footage.

No company officials returned Anadolu's phone calls or emails. Later on Wednesday afternoon, the company's website became inaccessible.

The mass explosion of pagers came amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel against the backdrop of a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,200 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last October.