Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris Saturday evening, French media reported.
Durov was taken into custody under a French arrest warrant as he got off his private jet after a flight from Azerbaijan, TF1 TV and BFM TV reported, citing people familiar with the case. The warrant reportedly covers offenses related to Telegram. There was no confirmation from French officials.
The arrest was made by investigators from the National Anti-Fraud Office, part of the French Customs Department, according to the reports. Durov, who has been criticized for alleged insufficient moderation on the encrypted Telegram app, is accused of refusing to cooperate with authorities, according to the reports.