Several French media outlets reported last night that Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram and VKontakte, was detained at an airport near Paris. He arrived on his private jet from Azerbaijan around 2:00 PM EDT, accompanied by a bodyguard and a woman. The reports indicate that the arrest was based on a warrant issued following a preliminary police investigation. Some sources claim that the warrant was issued just a short time before his plane landed.

Durov is allegedly expected to appear before an investigating judge, followed by the filing of charges for complicity in the following crimes: terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, possession of stolen property, child criminal content, and more. If found guilty, the entrepreneur could face a lengthy prison sentence, with some media outlets suggesting up to 20 years.

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov arrested at French airport; faces ...

The claims against Pavel Durov center around the lack of proper moderation on Telegram, which is believed to contribute to the rise in the aforementioned crimes. Furthermore, the company is accused of not cooperating with law enforcement to combat these crimes and of creating additional tools that facilitate them (such as disposable numbers, cryptocurrency, etc.). According to media reports, Durov was aware of potential issues in France, of which he is a citizen, and had been avoiding trips to Europe. However, for unknown reasons, he “made a mistake” and entered the country; some sources suggest he landed for jet refueling. Durov faces 20 years in prison and will stand trial as a French citizen. It is speculated that these actions are an attempt to obtain decryption keys.

Additionally, the prices of Notcoin and Toncoin are rapidly declining due to recent events.