Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, was reportedly detained at Bourget Airport near Paris on Saturday evening, according to French news outlets TF1 and BFM TV.
Durov, who was travelling on his private jet from Azerbaijan, was arrested under a French warrant related to a preliminary police investigation into Telegram’s alleged role in facilitating criminal activities, reports Reuters.
Telegram did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The French Interior Ministry and police had no comment.
TF1 said Durov had been travelling from Azerbaijan and was arrested at around 20:00 (18:00 GMT).
In separate news, Bitcoinnews.com said Durov, the 39-year-old Franco-Russian, was accompanied by a bodyguard and a woman at the time of his arrest by the Air Transport Gendarmerie.
Durov’s arrest followed his arrival from Azerbaijan and was executed under a French search warrant issued by the OFMIN…