Since Durov was arrested this past weekend at Le Bourget airport in Paris, Juli Vavilova, who was allegedly traveling with him at the time, has not been heard from.
The disappearance of 24-year-old “crypto coach” and video game broadcaster Juli Vavilova has sparked rumors on the internet that she may have had a hand in Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest in France.
International law enforcement has long targeted Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after refusing to provide the Kremlin access to encrypted data. Due to Telegram’s lack of moderation and the platform’s use of cryptocurrencies, French authorities issued a search warrant for Mr. Durov as part of an ongoing investigation by the Interior Ministry into allegations of crimes against minors, including claims of complicity in international drug trafficking and pedophilia.
Since the computer tycoon was taken into custody at Le Bourget airport, which is close to Paris, this past weekend, Ms. Vavilova, who was allegedly traveling with Mr. Durov before to his detention, has been silent. The family of Ms. Vavilova has expressed growing anxiety to AFP, stating that they haven’t been able to get in touch with her since the event.
The social media posts by Ms. Vavilova, which detailed her travels through Azerbaijan with Pavel Durov, may have unintentionally revealed the Telegram founder’s movements, which resulted in his arrest, according to French privacy data researcher Baptiste Robert. “It’s complicated to say if her posts played a direct role in his arrest, but if you were following her on social media, you could easily track Durov’s movements,” Mr. Robert told the NY Post.
A remarkable similarity between Juli Vavilova’s trips and Mr. Durov’s known itinerary can be seen in Mr. Robert’s compilation of her postings on X. This has footage showing the two of them together in Uzbekistan as well as an image from August 21 in Azerbaijan that shows Ms. Vavilova in the passenger seat of Mr. Durov’s vehicle.
They went to the same hotel and shooting range in the capital of Azerbaijan, according to other posts. Even though they seem to be close, it’s still unclear exactly what their connection is. Although they both reside in Dubai, the home of Telegram, it is unclear how or when they first met.
The coincidence of her disappearance and Mr. Durov’s arrest, however, has stoked rumors that she was set up as a “honey-trap” by someone trying to apprehend the elusive tech millionaire. Despite these rumors, no hard proof connecting her to this kind of scheme has surfaced.
Post Link: https://x.com/fs0c131y/status/1827828970856874115
