Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) intercepted a shipment of pager devices and chargers rigged with explosives at Istanbul Airport in 2024, according to details revealed by the Sabah newspaper a year later.
The cargo, originating from Hong Kong and en route to Lebanon, contained 1,300 pager devices and 710 chargers, all concealed within what was declared as a shipment of food choppers.
This discovery comes in the wake of widespread reports and a subsequent admission from Israel's top spy chief regarding a controversial "pager operation" conducted by Israel in Lebanon in September 2024.
These attacks involved wireless communication devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies reportedly used by Hezbollah, and resulted in the deaths of at least 51 people and injuries to nearly 3,000 others across Lebanon, including in civilian areas such as shops and homes.
In February 2025, David Barnea, head of Israel's Mossad, made a rare public acknowledgement of the attack, stating at a conference in Tel Aviv that the "pager operation" had "turned the tables" on Hezbollah in its war with Israel. "This operation marked a turning point in the north, during which we turned the tables on our enemies," Barnea asserted.
The bombs exploded all across Lebanon, including in shops and houses, and were called a violation of international law by the United Nations' human rights chief Volker Turk.
He further drew a "direct line" from the alleged pager attacks to the subsequent assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the eventual ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah. Barnea claimed that "Hezbollah suffered a devastating blow that shattered the organisation's spirit."
Reports have indicated that Mossad allegedly utilised devices manufactured by the Taiwan-based Gold Apollo company. While Gold Apollo initially denied any connection to the plot and stated that Hungary-based Bac Consulting KFT had permission to use its trademark, media outlets have identified the Budapest-based company as a front for Mossad.
The MIT operation in Istanbul was launched following intelligence indicating an impending shipment of pager devices destined for Lebanon, scheduled to arrive two days after the September 2024 bombings.
Turkish authorities at Istanbul Airport intercepted the 850-kilogram cargo, consisting of 61 boxes that had arrived from Hong Kong a day before the Lebanon explosions. The shipment was slated for departure to Beirut on September 27, 2024.
Upon inspection, authorities discovered the hidden explosives within the declared "food choppers" shipment. Laboratory analysis of the seized Gold Apollo pagers revealed 3 grams of unidentified white explosive material and detonator fuses concealed within each pager's battery compartment.
Further examination of the accompanying desktop chargers and batteries uncovered a brown-coloured explosive material that appeared to have been "injected" into the batteries while in liquid metal form.
Experts determined that the explosive devices could be detonated remotely via signals or through overheating. Around the same time, a separate cargo of pagers from the same company, destined for a different recipient in Lebanon, was also searched, but no explosives were found in that shipment.
The Sabah report identified Guangzhou Maoteng Yu as the source of the intercepted delivery and SMT Global Logistics Limited as the cargo broker in Türkiye before its intended delivery to a company named Trade Mania LLC in Lebanon. While the owner of an Istanbul-based brokerage firm with a similar name was questioned, no link to the delivery was established.
According to the Sabah report, MIT's successful operation was a key topic of discussion during Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Miqati's visit to Türkiye on December 18, 2024, where he reportedly met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and expressed his gratitude for Türkiye's actions.
As the Israeli attacks intensify in Gaza, Türkiye has uncovered several networks operated by Mossad within its borders.
Dozens have been taken into custody over connections to Mossad and involvement in espionage networks. The suspects are accused of targeting Palestinians in Türkiye, especially those associated with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
