Pavel Durov is suspected of failing to take action to curb the criminal use of his platform, Telegram.
French police arrested Telegram CEO and founder Pavel Durov on Saturday at an airport near Paris for alleged offences related to the popular messaging app, French media reported.
The French-Russian billionaire, 39, was detained at Le Bourget airport north of the French capital on Saturday evening, one of the officials told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
French television news outlets TF1 TV and BFM TV also reported the arrest, citing unnamed sources, according to Reuters.
He had just travelled from Baku, in Azerbaijan, another source close to the case told AFP.
Durov was expected to appear in court on Sunday.
Telegram did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment, and the French Interior Ministry and French police had no comment either.
