Taipei, Taiwan – The president of Taiwanese pager company Gold Apollo, Hsu Ching-kuang, was questioned and released by prosecutors amid global investigations into the devices linked to deadly blasts in Lebanon. According to reports, pagers and walkie-talkies, though claimed not to be directly manufactured by Gold Apollo, detonated and led to mass casualties.
In recent developments, Gold Apollo confirmed that the pagers suspected in Tuesday’s explosions were produced under license by BAC Consulting KFT, a Budapest-based company. The explosions reportedly killed at least nine people and injured nearly 3,000 others across Lebanon, igniting international scrutiny regarding the origin and distribution of the communication devices used in the attacks.
On a related note, Icom, a Japanese manufacturer, stated that the walkie-talkies used in a subsequent series of blasts on Wednesday, which resulted in 25 deaths and over 450 injuries, might be a phased-out model equipped with modified batteries. These devices exploded in various civilian locations including supermarkets and streets, exacerbating the already tense situation.
Investigators have been actively searching several connected locations. Besides Gold Apollo’s premises, authorities raided Apollo Systems, a newly registered company in the Neihu district of Taipei. Speculations arose as the local media referred to a female representative with ties to BAC Consulting KFT involved with Apollo Systems, intensifying the mystery surrounding the case.
In response to the allegations and the ongoing investigation, Taiwan’s prosecutor’s office from Shilin district emphasized the gravity with which the government views these allegations. They disclosed that further interviews were conducted with witnesses linked to the Taiwanese companies involved.
A statement from Taiwan’s economic affairs minister added another layer of complexity, definitively stating that the components used in the disputed pagers were foreign made. This assertion underpins the multifaceted nature of the international trade and regulatory challenges facing the global telecommunication equipment market.
Meanwhile, Icom detailed that the suspected walkie-talkie model had been sold in significant numbers globally before its discontinuation in 2014. The company highlighted the difficulty in tracking the origins due to the absence of hologram seals that distinguish genuine products from counterfeits. Ensuring that all their products adhere to strict management procedures, Icom’s director, Yoshiki Enomoto, expressed concerns over the potential misuse of their products and the complications arising from unauthorized alterations or counterfeit versions.
The unrest has not only opened investigations across multiple nations but also catalyzed a violent response. Hezbollah, blameful toward Israel for the incidents, has threatened retaliation, though Israel has not admitted to any involvement. The intricate web of accusations and defenses points to an escalating tension that demands careful navigation and immediate international cooperation.
As the situation unfolds, the discussions around manufacturing ethics, international security measures, and the responsibilities of licensing agreements have taken center stage. These events stress the imperative need for stringent controls and transparent practices in the global distribution and manufacturing sectors to preempt the misuse of commercially available technologies in acts of violence. The tragic incidents in Lebanon have thus sparked a worldwide call to reconsider and potentially reform the protocols governing international trade in communication devices.