Mumbai, August 27: Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, was recently arrested at the Bourget airport outside Paris on August 24. Durov was reportedly, travelling with a mystery woman, Julia Vavilova, who went missing days after the arrest. Durov, who fled Russia in 2014 after refusing to share encrypted data with the Kremlin, is now under investigation by French authorities. Let us know who is Julia Vavilova?

After the arrest, a social media post went viral that suggested that Durov may have been honey-trapped by influencer Julia Vavilova, who allegedly accompanied him on trips to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan. Vavilova's Instagram stories from the trip are believed to have tipped off authorities about Durov's location. Pavel Durov is on 12 criminal Counts; Telegram CEO Accused of Allowing Distribution of Child Porn Among Other Charges.

Who Is Julia Vavilova?

Julia Vavilova is a 24-year-old "crypto coach" and a game streamer, according to her Instagram profile. She gained attention on social media, particularly through her involvement in the cryptocurrency space and her streaming activities. Recently, she has been in the spotlight due to allegations that she may have been involved in a possible honey-trap scheme against Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Arrest: French President Emmanuel Macron Denies Political Interference, Says France Remains Deeply Committed to Freedom of Expression.

She has an audience of over 22,600 on Instagram and used to live in Dubai.  Although it remains unclear if Julia Vavilova was in a relationship with Durov, the news agency AFP reported that one of Durov's assistants was with him at the time of his arrest.

Vavilova has not been heard from since the tech mogul was detained at Le Bourget airport near Paris last weekend. Her family, growing increasingly worried, informed AFP that they had been unable to reach her since the incident. The overlap between her disappearance and Mr. Durov's arrest has led to speculation that she might have been part of a 'honey-trap' set up to capture the elusive tech mogul. Nonetheless, there is no solid evidence linking her to any such plot.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 27, 2024 01:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).