Drug dealers to Putin critics: Behind Pavel Durov’s rare Telegram audience
Al Jazeera
Arrested in France, the Telegram boss has found widespread support that mirrors his app’s popularity across usually opposing groups: Ukrainians and Russians, propagandists and free speech champions.
Once upon a time, buying drugs in Bishkek, the capital of the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan, involved consorting with criminal elements. Now, anyone with a smartphone can place an order for amphetamines, hashish and other illicit substances, and be instantly directed to a dead drop hidden somewhere in the city.
The app at the heart of it all? Telegram.
“Absolutely everything is done through Telegram: all the shops, platforms and chats are based on there,” explained Dina*, a young courier in her early twenties. “It’s convenient and confidential.”
It has channels for everything from job vacancies to cryptocurrency exchanges, she said. Dina started out as a courier when she was 19 and “wanted to earn some easy money”.
“In a few days, they gave me the location of the master treasure [wholesale consignment]. You go and collect 10 packets, already packed, then you distribute it around where they tell you, in which area, you take photos [of the hiding spot] and every two weeks you receive a payment in your crypto wallet.”
