The founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, was detained on the evening of August 24 at Paris-Le Bourget Airport, French media reported.
According to the French TV channel TF1, the billionaire arrived in France from Azerbaijan on his private jet.
The French authorities accuse him of complicity in drug trafficking, crimes against children, and fraud due to the lack of moderation on Telegram.
«On his platform, he committed numerous offenses and crimes without moderation or cooperation with law enforcement agencies,» the media wrote, citing French investigators.
The arrest warrant was issued by the French Central Directorate of the Judicial Police based on a preliminary investigation. According to media reports, Durov was aware that he was wanted and avoided traveling to France. Why he came this time remains unclear. The founder of Telegram could face up to 20 years in prison.
Durov is known to have emigrated from Russia in 2014 and obtained French citizenship in 2021. In recent years, he has mainly lived in the United Arab Emirates.
