Japanese company on Hezbollah’s exploding walkie-talkies: Had already warned …

Walkie-talkies belonging to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah detonated on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 450. The incident followed unexpected detonations of pagers the previous day, adding to the already strained relationship between Israel and Lebanon. The sudden detonation sparked chaos among thousands, who frantically sought refuge in surrounding structures.Soon after the blasts, photos emerged showing IC-V82 as the model name on these radios that are manufactured by Icom, a telecommunications equipment maker based in Osaka, Japan.
The manufacturer, according to a New York Times report, has said that it had discontinued the device a decade ago and was investigating what happened.

What the company said

In a statement, Icom said that it had not shipped any of the IC-V82 radios from its plant in Wakayama, Japan, in roughly a decade. The company said it had shipped IC-V82 transceivers to overseas markets, including the Middle East, from 2004 to October 2014.
Icom further said that it has no inventory of the IC-V82 model and has long warned of counterfeits selling in the market. The company stated that it “has taken legal action against counterfeit manufacturers and has warned about fake models since at least 2020.”
Companies manufacturing two-way radios say that the devices generally have a lifespan of about five to seven years. Althout, it can also vary depending on the usage.

Icom website shows IC-V82 discontinued

Classified under Type-2, the website says “Almost all Type 2 products are counterfeit. It has been a long time since the products were discontinued. Purchase the new models, such as the IC-V80 and IC-2300H (with a genuine hologram label).” Icom products classified under the Tupe-2 category include IC-V8, IC-U80, IC-V85, IC-V82, IC-M304 and IC-2200H that have no production/inventory.

“Pay special attention to counterfeit IC-V80, IC-718 (currently produced model) and IC-V82 (discontinued model). Copies of these models are floating in the market,” the company further added.

Devices that exploded in Lebanon had no counterfeit-prevention sticker, says company

Icom said that because the devices that exploded in Lebanon were not fixed with the counterfeit-prevention sticker. Because of which, the company said, it is not possible to confirm whether they had originated with the company.
The company further defended saying that it sells products only to authorized distributors and that it upholds strict export controls based on regulations set by Japan’s economy ministry.