The founder and CEO of Telegram was arrested at a French airport by the National Anti-Fraud Office

PANews reported on August 25th, according to The Block citing the well-known French news website TF1, Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested in France and detained by special agents from the French National Anti-Fraud Office. Durov was arrested with a woman and her bodyguard after they arrived at Paris Bourget Airport from Azerbaijan. This airport is specifically for private jets.

According to preliminary investigations, Durov is the subject of a search warrant issued by OFMIN, a French agency investigating child sexual exploitation. News reports pointed out that billionaire Durov rarely travels in Europe, perhaps to avoid being detained in this way because his arrest warrant is only valid within France. TF1 predicts that Durov may meet an investigative judge on Saturday night and then be charged on Sunday with multiple crimes including "terrorism, drugs conspiracy fraud money laundering receiving stolen goods pedophilia content", or even more.

An investigator from the French National Anti-Fraud Office (ONAF) who detained Durov told the news site: "Pavel Durov will definitely be held before trial... On his platform he has allowed countless illegal activities to occur without taking any mitigating or cooperative stance.