Pavel Durov, the French-Russian billionaire and founder of the messaging app Telegram, was detained by French authorities on Saturday evening. The arrest occurred at Bourget Airport near Paris, where Durov had arrived on a flight from Azerbaijan, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.
Durov, 39, was taken into custody by officers from France’s anti-fraud office, which is part of French customs. He is wanted under a French arrest warrant issued due to concerns over Telegram’s role in facilitating money laundering, drug trafficking, and the distribution of illegal content.
BFMTV reports that Durov had not traveled to France or Europe frequently since the warrant was issued. CNN has contacted the French prosecutor’s office for further details on the case.