The bodies of Russian crypto millionaire Roman Novak and his wife, Anna, were found dismembered and buried in the desert near Dubai.
The couple was discovered a month after they were reported missing in early October after several days without contact.
They were last seen heading to a lake near the Hatta mountain resort to meet an “unknown investor.”
Roman Novak, 38, and his wife, Anna, were killed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after being lured to the country by fake investors, authorities say.
According to reports, the couple, both based in Dubai, travelled to the Hatta mountain resort near the Oman border to meet individuals they believed were potential investors.
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Shortly before disappearing, Novak sent a message to contacts saying he was “stuck in the mountains on the Oman border” and urgently needed £152,000. Contact was lost soon after.
Investigations revealed that the couple was kidnapped, extorted for cryptocurrency access, and later killed. Novak’s crypto wallet was found empty.
Emirati police discovered traces of Anna Novak’s blood at a villa, blood in a rented car, a cache of knives, and a T-shirt believed to belong to one of the perpetrators. Their remains were subsequently found buried in a desert in the UAE.
Three Russian nationals have been detained in Russia after returning from Dubai. They are identified as Konstantin Shakht, 53, a former homicide investigator turned drug smuggler, and Yury Sharypov, 46, and Vladimir Dalekin, 45, both ex-soldiers who fought for Russia in the Ukraine war. Reports indicate they posed as investors to abduct the couple and demanded the password to Novak’s crypto wallet.
Five other Russian nationals, all under 25, are reportedly linked to the case. The three main suspects have been remanded in custody until 28 December.
Novak, who had boasted of contacts with wealthy individuals, including Telegram founder Pavel Durov, was under investigation for allegedly defrauding more than £38 million from investors in China, the Middle East, and elsewhere under the pretext of business development.
Reports describe him as a “talented manipulator” who presented himself as a wealthy operator, although authorities say he had a history of embezzlement. He previously served a prison sentence in Russia and ran a cryptocurrency network developed by Ukrainian programmers.
The couple’s children have been taken in by Anna Novak’s parents in Russia. Russian and UAE authorities continue investigations into the case.
