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.

AntiMalwareOctober 7, 2026Translated from Russian

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The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia has accused Telegram of completely ignoring appeals from Russian law enforcement agencies regarding the fight against illegal drug trafficking.

According to the ministry, the messenger, along with the darknet, has become one of the key platforms for involving teenagers in drug-related crimes. This statement was made by acting head of the Main Directorate for Drug Trafficking Control Kirill Smurov during a meeting of the presidium of the Public Council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as reported by TASS.

Smurov noted that Telegram administration does not react to requests and does not provide information, while the platform's founder Pavel Durov (listed by Rosfinmonitoring as a terrorist and extremist) avoids contact with Russian law enforcement. For comparison, the representative cited Yandex, which removes prohibited content either on its own or immediately upon police request.

Telegram has not demonstrated similar willingness to cooperate. Russian authorities have previously raised concerns about the messenger. According to Ministry of Internal Affairs data, around 153,000 crimes have been committed using Telegram since 2022. Roskomnadzor has also reported more than 150,000 demands to remove illegal content that went unanswered. The current statement focuses primarily on cooperation in combating narcotics.

Telegram Roskomnadzor Yandex Pavel Durov Kirill Smurov

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