The arrest took place at Le Bourget Airport in Paris on Saturday, where Durov was arriving on his private jet from Azerbaijan.

Multiple French press reports indicate that law enforcement agents apprehended Durov following the issuance of an arrest warrant. The warrant stems from an ongoing investigation into allegations that Durov failed to take appropriate action against illegal activities on Telegram, including drug trafficking, terrorist promotion, and fraud.

The probe specifically focuses on whether Durov refused to cooperate with law enforcement regarding cyberscams and the spread of child pornography on the messaging platform, as reported by French newspaper Le Monde. This investigation raises concerns about Telegram's laissez-faire approach to moderating content, which has allowed misinformation, extremism, and illicit activities to go unmoderated.

Pavel Durov, a Russian-born billionaire, holds dual citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates, where he operates Telegram, a Dubai-based messaging service that boasts nearly 1 billion users worldwide. Durov and his brother, Nikolai, founded Telegram in 2013. In 2014, Pavel Durov left Russia after refusing to provide data on Ukrainian users of the VK social networking site to Russian authorities.

Telegram, which gained popularity due to its privacy features, has become a go-to platform for unfiltered updates on conflicts like those in Ukraine and Gaza. However, concerns have been raised regarding the platform's lack of content moderation, enabling the dissemination of misinformation and facilitating illegal activities such as drug sales and child pornography.

The Russian Embassy in France has released a statement expressing their concern about Durov's detention and urging French authorities to provide an explanation and protect his rights, including granting consular access. Durov's supporters often hail him as a free speech hero, while critics have raised suspicions about possible links between Telegram and the Kremlin.

Further details about Durov's arrest and ongoing developments in this case are expected to be revealed in a statement from the Paris prosecutor's office on Monday.