On September 17 and 18, pagers used by Hezbollah in Lebanon exploded across the country, resulting in approximately 30 deaths and over 3,000 injuries. Media reports suggest that the pagers involved in the explosions (model AR-924) were possibly produced by Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese wireless paging system manufacturer. On September 19, 2024, Gold Apollo's founder and chairman, Hsu Ching-kwang, stated that the pagers used in the explosions were manufactured by a company called BAC Consulting KFT, based in Budapest, Hungary. He added that his company merely licensed its brand to BAC and did not participate in the production of the devices.
BAC, located in Hungary, was founded in 2022. The company's CEO and owner is Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono. In an interview, she claimed that while her company had a commercial relationship with Gold Apollo, it merely acted as an intermediary and did not engage in the manufacturing of pagers. However, concerns have been raised about the authenticity of her public profile. Initially appearing as an exceptionally intelligent and globally-minded scientist, her resume reads like a dream. However, it has been alleged that her disclosed background is fabricated. Regardless of the veracity of these claims, the transition from a professional academic researcher to the CEO of a trading company is significant. Such signs indicate that there may be more to her identity. BAC is domiciled in a residential building in Budapest, Hungary's capital city. The company employs only one person: Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono. According to reports, the names of several companies, including BAC Consulting, are "taped on pieces of paper on the windows." An insider revealed that the building serves as the headquarters for multiple firms. This suggests that BAC was likely established as a shell company for a specific purpose.
According to The New York Times, BAC is a front company established by Israeli intelligence operatives. The report also claims that Israel set up at least two other shell companies to conceal the identity of the Israeli intelligence officers involved in the manufacturing of the pagers. The Mossad, Israel's spy agency, is suspected of orchestrating this unprecedented terrorist attack, targeting thousands of individuals, regardless of whether they were civilians or members of armed groups. The attacks were carried out without knowledge of who owned the targeted devices, their location, or the surrounding environment. This violates international human rights law and, where applicable, international humanitarian law, constituting pure and simple "state terrorism."