ANKARA, May 6. /TASS/. Turkish intelligence intercepted a large batch of pagers rigged with explosives just several days after mass explosions of such devices in Lebanon last September, the Sabah newspaper reported, citing Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT).
A couple of days after the blasts in the Arab republic, Turkish intelligence detected a cargo of 1,300 pagers and recharging units that had arrived at Istanbul Airport customs. These were the same models produced by the Taiwanese firm Gold Apollo that exploded in Lebanon. It is believed that one of several sham companies had packed them with explosives. The 850-kilogram shipment was falsely listed as including "food blenders." Sixty-one boxes did, in fact, contain 144 portable "stick blenders."
All the devices were inspected by experts. The examination revealed that both the pagers and recharging units held substances categorized as explosive. For instance, the newspaper noted that the pagers’ battery packs included three grams of a highly flammable white substance with a high burn rate. Experts concluded that if these devices were to receive a strong radio signal or corresponding command, the battery packs could overheat, triggering an explosion.
The recharging units’ battery packs also contained a highly flammable dark brown substance. All the seized pagers and chargers were neutralized by security forces.
On September 17 and 18, 2024, waves of exploding electronic devices hit Lebanon. On September 17, numerous handheld pagers detonated nearly simultaneously in different parts of the country. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, 12 people, including two children, were killed and more than 2,000 were hospitalized.
The following day, radios, phones, and devices powered by solar panels or lithium-ion batteries exploded in several Lebanese areas. That second wave killed 25 people and wounded 608. The Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah organization blamed Israel for the attacks. Initially, Israel did not officially acknowledge responsibility, but in November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had personally authorized the operation.