Ton down, Telegram’s Pavel Durov arrested in France

39-year-old Franco-Russian millionaire was taken into custody on Saturday night

Written by: Olumide Adesina • Sunday, August 25, 2024 • 2 min read

• Last updated: Sunday, August 25, 2024

Toncoin had a double-digit decline when French media reported that Telegram CEO Pavel Durov had been imprisoned there. Durov was detained because French authorities think he is connected to crimes orchestrated via Telegram due to the platform’s lack of moderation.

One of the individuals, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that the 39-year-old Franco-Russian millionaire was taken into custody on Saturday night at the airport located north of the French capital, Le Bourget.

Toncoin is currently trading above $5.5 and has dropped more than 14% as of this writing. At $64,000, Bitcoin is still largely stable.

Durov was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the French office OFMIN, which is in charge of stopping violence against minors. The preliminary investigation into the allegations included fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and the encouragement of terrorism.

The Dubai-based encrypted messaging service has positioned itself as a substitute for US-owned platforms that have come under fire for abusing users’ personal information for profit. Telegram pledges never to share any user data with third parties.
In an uncommon interview, Durov told Tucker Carlson, presenter of the right-wing talk program, in April that he was under pressure from the Russian government to release an encrypted messaging app while he was employed at VK, the social network he founded before selling it and departing the country in 2014.

After that, he claimed, he attempted to live in Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco before deciding on Dubai, which he commended for its “neutrality” and business-friendly atmosphere.

Due to a complaint about Telegram’s lack of moderation and collaboration with law enforcement, the OFIM, a French body that works to prevent violence against minors, issued a warrant for Durov’s arrest.

The CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, was reportedly detained at Le Bourget Airport, under OFIM, the French National Police office responsible for preventing violence against minors.

The French national police office OFIM filed a criminal complaint that led to the warrant for Durov’s arrest. The complaint claims that Telegram’s lack of moderation and lack of cooperation with law enforcement made Telegram complicit in drug trafficking, the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and fraud.

Crimes and misdemeanors were allegedly perpetrated on his platform, which he did nothing to stop or assist with. It developed as the leading network for organized crime throughout the years.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR See More

Olumide Adesina

Financial Market Writer

Olumide Adesina is a French-born Nigerian financial writer. He tracks the financial markets with over 15 years of working experience in investment trading.