Turkish intelligence services have reportedly thwarted an attempt to smuggle booby-trapped electronic equipment into Lebanon, allegedly intended to target Hezbollah members, according to a detailed report published by Turkish media platform ODATV.
The report claims that the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) intercepted a high-risk shipment of modified electronic devices intended for use in explosive attacks. The devices, which included tampered pagers and other electronics, were discovered during a joint security operation triggered by an intelligence alert received on September 20, 2024, just days after a series of mysterious pager-related explosions in Lebanon.
According to ODATV, the shipment had arrived in Istanbul from Hong Kong on September 16 and was falsely declared as a consignment of “food.” It was slated for onward transport to Beirut on September 27 via the Taiwanese logistics firm “SMT Global Logistics Limited.”
During inspection, Turkish authorities reportedly uncovered 61 boxes weighing a total of 850 kilograms. The cargo contained 1,300 Gold Apollo 924 R3 GP pagers, 710 desktop chargers, and additional equipment such as hand mixers, audio recorders, and network adapters. A technical analysis revealed that the pagers had been rigged with highly flammable materials hidden inside their battery compartments. The modified devices were reportedly capable of being detonated remotely via electronic signals or by triggering an internal short circuit, functioning as potential remote-controlled explosives.
The report also links the shipment to Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, and a Hungarian firm, Bac Consulting KFT, which ODATV suggests may be operating as a front for intelligence operations.
On September 17, 2024, a series of coordinated explosions involving modified pagers distributed among Hezbollah operatives occurred across Lebanon and parts of Syria. The attacks resulted in at least 42 fatalities and injured over 3,500 individuals, resulting in an escalation in the region's tensions.
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