State Agency for National Security Denies Bulgarian Involvement in Hezbollah Pager Exports (UPDATED)

In response to recent media reports alleging that a Bulgarian-registered company supplied pagers to the Lebanese organization Hezbollah, which were subsequently detonated in Lebanon and Syria, the State Agency for National Security (SANS) has stated that no customs operations involving these goods were conducted within Bulgaria.

Update: The company reported in world media as involved in supplying the pagers that exploded in Lebanon does not have an office in Sofia. An inspection by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) revealed that the address listed on Vitosha Boulevard is occupied by rental apartments and several offices, but not by the company in question.

The address is home to numerous other registered businesses, and there is no evidence suggesting that the Norwegian national who owns the company has ever visited Bulgaria.

SANS clarified that there were no customs transactions with the foreign companies implicated in these reports. The agency, in collaboration with the National Revenue Agency and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is conducting joint inspections to investigate any potential involvement of the Bulgarian-registered company in the supply of communication equipment to Hezbollah.

The investigation aims to determine the extent of the Bulgarian company's involvement, if any, in the supply chain for the equipment used by the Lebanese organization.

Only cash flows - around 1.6 million euros - passed through Bulgaria. The money was sent to Hungary, SANS claims, bTV reported today. The inspection was carried out by the SANS, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Revenue Agency and is related to media claims that goods related to pagers passed through Bulgaria. No customs operations in this direction have been carried out on Bulgarian territory, state institutions add.

The leader of GERB, Boyko Borissov, called on SANS and the caretaker cabinet to come up with a position regarding claims by Hungarian media that Bulgaria was involved in the attack in Lebanon: "Pagers are blowing up. Walkie-talkies are blowing up, terrible tension is being created in Bulgaria. I hope SANS and the office will quickly explain what happened, because I remember the attack in Sarafovo. I hope everyone remembers it. They must quickly explain what has happened. The media in Hungary, around the world, are writing that Bulgaria is directly involved through the payments. Someone must stop this immediately."