Russian Interior Ministry Accuses Telegram of Ignoring Drug Trafficking Requests
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has publicly stated that Telegram completely ignores requests from law enforcement agencies aimed at combating illegal drug trafficking. According to the ministry, the messenger has become one of the main platforms, alongside darknet markets, for involving teenagers in narcotics-related crimes. Acting head of the Main Directorate for Drug Trafficking Control Kirill Smurov highlighted that Telegram administration does not respond to official inquiries and refuses to share necessary information. In contrast, Yandex promptly removes prohibited content either independently or upon the first police request. Since 2022, approximately 153,000 crimes have been committed using Telegram, while Roskomnadzor has issued more than 150,000 content removal demands that received no response. Founder Pavel Durov, who is included in the Rosfinmonitoring list of terrorists and extremists, has not engaged with Russian authorities on these matters.
AntiMalwareOct 7, 2026Translated from Russian