Reported by MATHILDA HELLER

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the messaging service, Telegram, was arrested as he disembarked his private jet on the tarmac at Le Bourget airport, Paris, the French channel TF1 reported on Saturday.

OFMIN, a part of the national directorate of the French judicial police, had placed an arrest warrant on Durov, a French-Russian dual national, due to lack of cooperation with law enforcement and suspected complicity in drug trafficking, pedo criminal offenses, and fraud, according to TF1.

Durov, 39, was said to have been arrested at 8pm French time, having flown in from Azerbaijan. The warrant on Durov was only valid if he was on French soil. As a result, TF1 reported that Durov traveled via the UAE, former Soviet countries and South America to avoid arrest in Europe. He also reportedly avoided traveling through countries where Telegram is under surveillance.

“He made a big mistake this evening,” a source close to the investigation told TF1. “We don’t know why… Was this flight just a stopover? In any case, he’s in custody.” 

TF1 said that investigators from France’s anti-fraud directorate placed Durov in custody, and the CEO will appear before a judge on Saturday night before a possible indictment on Sunday. The alleged offenses include: terrorism, narcotic supply, fraud, money laundering, receiving stolen goods and others.

Read full report: https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-816149