Mossad Bomb Plot Foiled by Turkey’s Intelligence at Istanbul Airport: Report
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) intercepted a cargo shipment at Istanbul Airport containing 1,300 explosive-laden pagers identical to those used in deadly Israeli attacks in Lebanon last year, according to Turkish authorities.
According to Turkish Sabah news agency, the explosive-laden devices were flagged just days after Mossad’s coordinated pager-triggered attacks in Lebanon on September 17 and 18, 2024, which killed 37 people, including children, and wounded more than 3,000.
Turkish intelligence discovered that the intercepted cargo, shipped from Hong Kong on September 16 and scheduled for departure to Beirut on September 27, contained pagers and charging equipment of the same model used in the Lebanese attacks.
Investigators found 1,300 Gold Apollo 924 R3 GP model pagers and 710 Desktop Charger BC-144N units. The criminal lab confirmed the devices housed highly flammable white explosive material embedded within battery compartments, capable of detonating upon signal reception or overheating.
The bomb mechanism mirrored the one used by Mossad in Lebanon, where Israeli intelligence implanted explosives in communication devices meant for Hezbollah. The devices were remotely detonated, causing mass casualties.
Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, the manufacturer of the pagers, pointed to its Hungarian partner, Bac Consulting KFT, which is suspected of being a Mossad front company, Sabah reported.
MIT had acted swiftly on September 20 after receiving intelligence that a similar shipment was destined for Lebanon. Security forces intensified inspections across Turkish airports and ports.
The intercepted cargo was falsely declared as "Food Chopper" equipment on the bill of lading but included a mix of actual electronics and concealed weapons. Bomb squads from Istanbul Police inspected each box and safely dismantled the explosive components.
In-depth analysis revealed that the batteries in both the pagers and chargers were custom-modified with two-cell explosive cores sealed in metal casings. These explosives could be activated via signal overload or short circuit.
Another shipment from Hong Kong to Beirut, on flight TK6091, raised further suspicions. Though it contained similar electronics and was processed by the same intermediary, SMT Global Logistics Limited, no explosives were found during inspection.
The original sender of the intercepted bomb-laden shipment was listed as Chinese firm Guangzhou Maoteng Yu, while the recipient was Lebanese electronics wholesaler Trade Mania LLC. The intermediary SMT Global was linked to a customs consultancy in Istanbul, whose owner denied involvement, citing a name similarity.
MIT’s operation reportedly formed a key topic in the December 2024 meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Mikati thanked Erdoğan for thwarting the attack, which could have led to another massacre on Lebanese soil.
All intercepted explosive devices were destroyed by Turkish security forces, effectively neutralizing what Sabah described as one of Mossad’s most insidious plots in recent years.
