A 39-year-old Indian businessman who reportedly went “missing” this week has become one of the central figures in the probe surrounding the deadly pager blasts in Lebanon. Rinson Jose, who moved to Norway from India in 2015, is linked to a Bulgarian shell company that reportedly facilitated a deal to supply pagers used in the attacks, the Daily Mail reported.
Who Is Rinson Jose?
Jose is listed as the owner of Norta Global LTD, a company that allegedly paid 1.3 million euros to Cristiana Arcidiacono-Barsony, another suspicious intermediary now being linked to Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad. The pagers were reportedly laced with explosives and targeted Hezbollah members in Beirut. After the blasts, Jose “disappeared” on what was said to be a pre-planned business trip, the UK-based newspaper said.
His employer, Norwegian media conglomerate NHST, has been unable to reach him since Tuesday and contacted Norway’s domestic intelligence service after learning of his connection to the attacks. According to the UK newspaper, Oslo Police have initiated preliminary investigations into the matter. Neighbours at Jose’s apartment in Mortensrud, an upscale suburb of Oslo, reported that they had not seen him for several months. Several reports said that his flat showed signs of neglect, with blinds drawn and overgrown grass outside.
Background
Jose went to Norway for higher studies a few years ago. He briefly worked in London before returning to Oslo. Apart from having his own firm, Jose also works in Oslo and has a twin brother based in London. His professional background includes working for a London immigration advisory firm and founding NortaLink, a consulting and technology services company. His profile on Founders Nation described him as an entrepreneur seeking collaboration opportunities and highlighted his experience with startups and multinational corporations.
Family Reacts
After reports about Jose’s ties to the Lebanon explosions emerged, his relatives on Friday said that they trust him and he will be not involved in the Lebanon pager blasts. “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,” Thankachen, a relative of Jose, was quoted as saying by IANS. Thankachen said that they have also had no contact with Joe’s wife for many days now.
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