Founder, CEO of Telegram arrested at French airport on multiple charges
Pavel Durov, the renowned founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, was unexpectedly arrested upon his arrival at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, as reported by French media outlet TF1 on Saturday. Durov, a dual French-Russian national, was detained by the OFMIN, a division of the French judicial police, after disembarking from his private jet around 8 PM local time.
The arrest follows an international warrant issued due to Durov’s alleged refusal to cooperate with law enforcement and suspected involvement in a series of serious crimes, including terrorism, narcotics distribution, fraud, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods. He is also suspected of complicity in drug trafficking, pedo-criminal offenses, and financial fraud.
Reports suggest that Durov, 39, had been meticulously avoiding arrest by flying through countries with less stringent surveillance and avoiding Europe altogether. His latest journey reportedly took him through the UAE, former Soviet republics, and South America before he made what investigators are calling a “critical error” by landing in France.
A source close to the investigation stated, “He made a big mistake this evening… Was this flight just a stopover? In any case, he’s now in custody.”
