Rabat – Pavel Durov, the billionaire co-founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested yesterday evening at Bourget Airport near Paris.
According to TF1 Info, Durov was apprehended while traveling on his private jet from Azerbaijan.
The arrest was executed by a coordinated team comprising agents from the Air Transport Gendarmerie, the Cybercrime Gendarmerie Command, the National Anti-Fraud Office, and the Border Police.
Durov, who was listed in the French Wanted Persons File, faced arrest under a French warrant issued by the Minor Office of the National Judicial Police Directorate.
This action followed a preliminary investigation into his activities.
French authorities believe that Telegram’s lack of moderation, limited cooperation with law enforcement, and features such as disposable phone numbers and cryptocurrency make Durov complicit in drug trafficking, child exploitation offenses, and fraud.
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Durov, originally from Russia and now residing in Dubai, has dual citizenship in the United Arab Emirates and France.
He left Russia in 2014 after rejecting government orders to close opposition groups on his social media platform VK, which he later sold.
Launched by Pavel and Nikolai Durov in 2013, Telegram has grown to around 900 million active users.
Renowned for its end-to-end encrypted messaging and the ability to create channels for quick information sharing, the app faced a ban in Russia in 2018 due to Durov’s refusal to provide user data. However, the ban was lifted in 2021.
As Telegram’s popularity has surged, it has drawn increasing scrutiny from European countries, including France, over security and data breach issues.
In response to reports of Durov’s detention, Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, remarked, “It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme.” Musk has also promoted the hashtag #FreePavel in support.
