The pagers involved in deadly explosions in Lebanon and Syria were manufactured by a company based in Budapest, Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, whose branding appeared on the beepers, said Wednesday

Experts believe explosive material was put into the pagers prior to their delivery and use in a sophisticated supply chain infiltration.

Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said Wednesday that it authorized its brand on the pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria but that another company based in Budapest manufactured them. Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded almost simultaneously Tuesday across Lebanon and in parts of Syria,

Then, at 3.30pm local time on Tuesday, thousands of Gold Apollo-branded pagers exploded in Beirut, plunging the Lebanese capital into a panic, and sending hundreds of members of the powerful Lebanese militant group, Hizbollah, to overcrowded hospitals with mangled hands, facial injuries and worse.

The model of pagers used in detonations in Lebanon were made by Budapest-based BAC Consulting, Taiwanese pager firm Gold Apollo said on Wednesday, adding it had only licensed out its brand to the company and was not involved in the production of the devices.