Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has reportedly been arrested in France on multiple charges related to his management of the social messaging platform. This development, based on unverified social media claims and unconfirmed press reports, has raised significant concerns in the tech and financial communities.

The reports suggest that Durov was apprehended upon landing at the Bourget airport near Paris, facing allegations of terrorism, trafficking, conspiracy, fraud, money laundering, and other serious offenses. It is claimed that Durov was taken into custody shortly after disembarking from his private jet, arriving from Azerbaijan.

French commercial television network TF1, citing unnamed insiders, reported, "This search warrant ran if, and only if, Pavel Durov was on national territory." The network further claimed that Durov typically avoided traveling within Europe, especially in countries "where Telegram is under surveillance."

The Telegram-developed TON cryptocurrency has significantly declined as a result of these unconfirmed reports, falling over 14% from its early August 24 high of $6.86 to $5.85 at the time of this article's publication.

Toncoin (TON) has decreased by 9.29% over the past week, according to CoinMarketCap.

Global reactions to the news have been swift. American commentator Candace Owens remarked,

"Do you understand the severity of what is happening yet? Pavel Durov truly believes in free speech and created a platform the deep state doesn’t have access to, so now they have arrested him."

Fox News host Tucker Carlson also commented on his social media platform, stating,

"Pavel Durov sits in a French jail tonight, a living warning to any platform owner who refuses to censor the truth at the behest of governments and intel agencies."

This development follows Durov's prediction earlier this year about increasing government surveillance, which he shared with Carlson on his podcast in April. "The world is becoming less amenable. Governments are becoming less tolerant of privacy," Durov noted, emphasizing the trend towards greater technological control by governments.

Following the release of these reports, TON issued a statement on X, without providing specific details about the investigation: "Following the recent news related to Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov, we want to assure everyone that the TON community remains strong and fully operational," the statement read.

"As a community committed to freedom of speech and decentralization, we stand firmly by Pavel during this challenging time."