Israel used civilian aircraft to transport thousands of explosive-laden pagers into Lebanon, according to an investigation by NRK. The operation involved hiding high-grade explosives inside devices that Hizbollah believed were produced by the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, though the supply chain was actually controlled by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.
The attack killed 12 people, including two children, and injured nearly 2,000 others. NRK’s investigation, based on Hizbollah shipping documents and flight data, reveals that the explosives were transported on civilian flights, a practice generally prohibited due to the risk of catastrophic mid-air explosions.
Food choppers on a Boeing flight from Hong Kong
A Boeing cargo plane departed Hong Kong shortly after midnight on September 16, 2024, bound for Istanbul. According to a shipping manifest obtained by NRK, the cargo included 61 packages labeled as “food choppers.”
The shipment was cleared for all types of aircraft, including passenger planes. However, the items were not kitchen appliances. After the pagers exploded in Lebanon on September 17, Turkish authorities were alerted to a remaining shipment in Istanbul.
Did you know? The pagers were identified as model AR-924. Turkish intelligence (MIT) reported that a stopped shipment contained 1,300 of these devices and 710 chargers, all rigged with explosives.
PETN and CL-20 explosives in civilian cargo
Internal reports from the Lebanese army identify the primary explosive used in the devices as PETN. A separate internal Hizbollah report claims the devices also contained a “booster” consisting of the high-explosive CL-20.
Roger Bogen, a flight operations inspector with the Civil Aviation Authority, stated that these types of explosives are strictly forbidden on civilian transport flights without special permits. Bogen noted that an explosion in the air would have been “catastrophic.”
The Hong Kong logistics loop
Shipping documents show the journey began in Guangzhou, China, through a company called Guangzhou Mao Teng Yu Trading.
The cargo was then trucked to Hong Kong, where the logistics were managed by SMT Global Logistics Limited.
SMT Global Logistics Limited described themselves as “innocent middlemen” who simply delivered the cargo. The company refused to name the party that ordered the shipment, claiming they had destroyed all relevant documents.
Logistics Detail: Hizbollah frequently uses shell companies to procure goods because the organization is terror-listed by multiple countries, making direct trade illegal in many jurisdictions.
Turkish intelligence intercepts second shipment
Following the initial blasts, Turkish intelligence agency MIT was alerted to further shipments. Police in Istanbul discovered four pallets of pagers that were “strikingly similar” to those that exploded in Lebanon.
Mahmoud Komati, a member of Hizbollah’s political council, told NRK that once they discovered a new shipment was en route, they coordinated with Turkish and Lebanese authorities to stop it.
Turkish Cargo tracking data shows that two shipments were eventually returned to Hong Kong. One contained “remnants” from the shipment stopped on September 20; the other contained no explosives, as it was sent three days after the initial attacks.
Questions regarding Norwegian involvement
The Hungarian newspaper Telex reported that a Norwegian citizen and his company, Norta Global, may have arranged the transport. The report alleges that a shell company linked to the Israeli operation paid the Hong Kong logistics firm approximately 100,000 kroner.
Neither the Norwegian citizen nor Norta Global has responded to inquiries. SMT Global Logistics Limited also declined to comment on the connection to the Norwegian firm, referring NRK to the Hong Kong police.
Common questions about the pager operation
How did the explosives enter the civilian supply chain?
NRK’s investigation suggests the goods were labeled as “food choppers” and may have been repacked in Hong Kong to bypass security and customs checks.
Which specific explosives were used in the AR-924 pagers?
According to Lebanese army and Hizbollah reports, the devices contained PETN as the main charge and CL-20 as a booster.
Did any other countries intercept the devices?
Turkey intercepted a shipment of 1,300 pagers and 710 chargers in Istanbul after being alerted by intelligence sources following the September 17 attacks.
Israeli authorities and Turkish Airlines have not responded to questions regarding the use of civilian aircraft for transporting explosives.