- The female companion present during the arrest of the Telegram leader was which woman?
In the tech sphere, the latest buzz is about: Billionaire Telegram app creator Pavel Durov was apprehended by law enforcement. They grabbed him last Saturday at Le Bourget airport in Paris as he exited his private jet.
As per French news sources, he was traveling to a restaurant. Now, the 39-year-old is detained until at least Wednesday evening. Durov is accused of several offenses by the Paris prosecutor's office: aiding and abetting fraud, drug trafficking, and the dissemination of child exploitation material on Telegram. He might face up to 20 years in prison. However, whether an inquiry will be initiated against Durov is uncertain. A judge will decide by Wednesday at the latest.
A conspiracy theory is also igniting speculation online. It centers around a woman who, according to media reports, was with Durov during his arrest and has since vanished without a trace.
Whispers of a suspected spy traveling with Pavel Durov
Yulia Wawilowa is the name on everyone's lips. Described as a 24-year-old streamer and crypto influencer from Dubai, her Instagram profile boasts nearly 30,000 followers. The nature of her association with Durov is ambiguous. Some on social media platform X claim they are a couple, while others speculate that Wawilowa could be a spy who assisted French authorities in accessing Durov. No proof supports these claims.
Regardless, it appears that Wawilowa and Durov have known each other for some time and have taken trips together, as data analyst Baptiste Robert detailed in a series of posts on X. Robert surmised that Durov has likely been under the watch of multiple intelligence agencies for an extended period. Wawilowa may have been part of this operation. "It's challenging to say if her posts directly led to his arrest," Robert informed the New York Post, "but if you followed her on social media, you could easily trace Durov's movements."
Last week, Wawilova posted photographs and videos of herself fishing by a lake and at a firing range in Azerbaijan. According to Robert, Durov was also in Azerbaijan. Another clue: Durov's private jet left Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, before landing in Paris. His visit to the country fueled rumors that Durov might have met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was also in Baku last week. However, a Kremlin spokesman has denied this.
Wawilowa's family can't reach her
Relations between Russia and Telegram founder Pavel Durov have been strained, mostly due to censorship, information control, and state surveillance issues. Since 2014, Durov has been in exile, currently living in Dubai. It was reported that French authorities were looking for Durov. The reason for Durov's trip to Paris last Saturday remains unclear.
As for his companion, Yulia Wawilowa, her whereabouts are unknown since her arrival in Paris. Her Russian parents stated on Tuesday that they have been unable to contact her. Was she also arrested or perhaps in hiding? One thing seems certain: The story of Yulia Wawilowa and her enigmatic absence adds another captivating element to the already complex case of Pavel Durov.
The Paris prosecutor's office is reviewing the role of Yulia Wawilowa, a 24-year-old streamer and crypto influencer from Dubai, in relation to the Telegram-related charges against Pavel Durov. Despite her parents' attempts to reach her, Wawilowa's whereabouts remain unknown after her arrival in Paris.
