Pavel Durov, the CEO and founder of Telegram, was apprehended in France on Saturday after arriving at Le Bourget airport near Paris. Reports from French media outlet TF1 indicate that Durov’s private jet had just landed when the arrest took place.
Following the news of his arrest, the value of Toncoin, a cryptocurrency developed by Durov and his brother Nikolai, saw a significant drop of about 14%, falling to $5.75, as reported by CoinGecko.
Durov, who is originally from Russia, had just traveled from Azerbaijan and was accompanied by a bodyguard and a female companion. The arrest was carried out under a warrant from OFMIN, a division of the French judicial police. The warrant alleges that Telegram’s insufficient moderation and lack of collaboration with law enforcement facilitate criminal activities on the platform, including drug trafficking, fraud, and child sexual abuse.
Durov established Telegram in 2013 and left Russia in 2014, refusing to adhere to government demands to shut down opposition groups on the social network VKontakte, which he eventually sold. The arrest warrant was enforceable only while Durov was on French soil.
Sources indicate that Durov was aware of his status as persona non grata in France and had been cautious about traveling to Europe, particularly in countries closely monitoring Telegram. “He made a blunder tonight. We don’t know why… Was this flight just a stopover? In any case, he’s in custody,” a source close to the investigation told TF1.
In response to the situation, Elon Musk expressed support for Durov’s release on social media platform X.
In the broader crypto market, Bitcoin decreased by 0.03%, trading at $64,114.48, while Ethereum saw a slight decline of 0.07%, valued at $2,760.83.