Telegram founder Pavel Durov was detained in France for aiding crime

Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, an online messaging service that allows the sending of encrypted messages, was detained on Saturday evening at Paris's Le Bourget airport. The French judicial system wanted the Russian national because of supporting criminal activities.

Pavel Durov, accused of not cooperating with law enforcement authorities regarding the operations of the Telegram messenger he created—which is being utilised by criminals—flew to Paris from Azerbaijan. He was detained at Le Bourget airport in France.

The Russian holds a French passport, and it is in France where the 39-year-old man is the focus of investigators' work. He is suspected of supporting illegal activities.

The Telegram channel he created has become a platform for organised crime. On Sunday, Durov may face charges related to a series of crimes, including terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, and distribution of pedophilic content.

After the charges are presented, the Telegram founder is to be temporarily detained. According to the French agency TF1, his fault lies in allowing countless offences and crimes to be committed on his platform, for which he did nothing to mitigate. He also did not cooperate with law enforcement authorities.

According to the Polish Press Agency, French media are surprised that Durov, who knew about the possibility of detention, appeared in France. Until now, he has avoided this country while travelling to the United Arab Emirates, former USSR countries, and South American nations.

Durow created the Telegram app 11 years ago. Earlier, he tried to introduce the "Russian Facebook" to the market, but his efforts—as reported by PAP—were thwarted by Vladimir Putin's allies. He then left Russia, obtaining citizenship of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

His company, Telegram Group Inc., is registered in the British Virgin Islands. The mobile app is issued by Telegram FZ-LLC, a company registered in the United Arab Emirates. According to Forbes, Durow's wealth is estimated at £12.6 billion.