Kerala-born Norwegian Contacts Family Months After Lebanon Pager Blasts

Last Updated:January 02, 2025, 12:24 IST

Lebanon Pager Blasts: While the uncle claimed that the 37-year-old has returned to Norway, the information could not be independently verified.

Rinson Jose has been allegedly linked to Lebanon pager blasts which left several dead and scores injured. (Photo: IANS)

Kerala-born Norwegian citizen, allegedly linked to the probe into Lebanon pager blasts, has reportedly resumed employment after going missing for days post the September 2024 attacks. Wayanad’s Rinson Jose is said to have contacted his family and confirmed his safety.

A report in Times of India quoted Jose’s uncle, Thankachan, as saying that Norwegian police have cleared the 37-year-old of any wrongdoing in the investigation that followed the September attacks.

Thankachan said Jose has messaged his family saying he is fine and has taken up employment, the report stated. The uncle further informed that Norwegian police realised that he was “innocent and not linked to the blasts".

While the uncle claimed that the 37-year-old has returned to Norway, the information could not be independently verified.

Kerala-based news organisation, Manorama, had in November stated that Jose’s employment with the DN Media group in Norway had ended.

“I can confirm that we have agreed with him that he is no longer employed with us, and because of that, there is no reason for us to report him as missing. We sent him an email one-and-a-half weeks ago, and he quickly responded to it," Amund Djuve, CEO of DN Media group, was quoted in November.

Djuve did not comment on whether Rinson’s wife, also an employee of DN Media group, is still employed with the company, the report stated.

Jose had remained incommunicado since September 17 after Lebanon was rocked by a series of pager blasts that killed nearly 40 people, including people in Syria, and injured thousands.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that Jose was attending a technology conference in Boston when the blasts occurred.

The report quoted a senior Israeli defence official as saying that Jose is now in a “safe place". He, however, did not disclose the location. The article also alleged his involvement with Mossad front companies.

Who is Rinson Jose?

Rinson Jose reportedly owns Bulgarian company Norta Global that was founded in April 2022. Before that he ran a consultancy firm in Norway where he has been an active member of the Malayali community.

The Kerala-born’s LinkedIn profile states that he is an entrepreneur in NortaLink, an IT services, consulting, procurement, and recruiting Company. Norta Global is allegedly a shell company of NortaLink

Norta Global Ltd, based in Bulgaria and allegedly owned by Jose, came under investigation by international security agencies following reports linking it to the sale of hundreds of pagers.

Meanwhile, a report in Deccan Herald stated in September that his family back in the Wayanad village had no clue about him running a company.

“Jose left Kerala for a job and studies ten years back. He last visited home last November and returned in January. We were told that he was working for a firm. We are not aware of any company he is running. He had contacted the family a few days ago but did not mention anything about the fresh developments (investigation in the pager deal). We firmly believe that Jose is not involved in any illegal acts," Jose’s uncle Thankachan had said.

Kozhikode, India

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