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Al Jazeera

Technology

Niko Vorobyov

Drug dealers to Putin critics: Behind Pavel Durov’s rare Telegram audience

Pavel Durov Telegram Russia Kremlin Access Now Al Jazeera Facebook France FSB VK

A man shouts while holding a portrait of Telegram messaging app co-founder Pavel Durov, depicted as an icon, to protest against Russia's blocking of the app in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 [File: Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo]

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.

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