Posted on 09/19/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
The Japanese firm Icom Inc. has said that the hand-held radio model affected by Wednesday's explosions in Lebanon was discontinued approximately a decade ago, the Japan Times reported Thursday.
The firm has said that it is investigating the situation.
Icom said that the company exported its IC-V82 two-way radio to various regions internationally, including to the Middle East, until October 2014, when it ceased production and sale of the devices.
The company also halted production of the batteries needed to power the radio's main unit, the Icom statement noted.
Icom also said that they cannot determine if the radios in question were their own products, but that all their radios are manufactured at a factory in Wakayama Prefecture. Icom itself follows government safety protocols and does not outsource its production overseas.
The Japan Times noted that if the products are genuine, "it’s possible they were modified well after sale to their original customers."
Icom director Yoshiki Enomoto noted that given the severe damage around the battery compartment, it is possible that the batteries were modified after procurement.
Mitsuru Fukuda, professor of risk management at Nihon University, told the Japan Times, "This may increase pressure on companies to expand risk oversight of their supply chains."