The remains of a cryptocurrency millionaire and his spouse have reportedly been discovered in a United Arab Emirates desert after being murdered and dismembered.
Roman Novak was a wealthy Russian cryptocurrency investor, while his wife Anna previously worked as a television journalist in Russia. The pair were last spotted last month when they travelled to meet supposed 'investors' in Hatta, Dubai's mountainous resort area.
A 'large ransom' demand followed, which went 'unpaid,' ultimately leading to their deaths.
Two veterans from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and a former homicide detective are reportedly responsible for the killings.
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The detained individuals have been identified as Russian nationals Konstantin Shakht, a former murder investigator turned drug trafficker, along with Yury Sharypov and Vladimir Dalekin.
Reports suggest they were murdered at a Hatta villa nearly a month ago. They allegedly posed as investors who abducted the couple and demanded that Roman provide access to his cryptocurrency wallet.
Although Roman complied, news outlet Fontanka reported the wallet contained no funds.
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When Roman and Anna couldn't produce a ransom, they were 'killed and then dismembered.' All three detained suspects will remain in custody until 28 December, while five additional Russians under 25 are reportedly connected to the case.
The couple lived in Dubai and frequently posted on social media about their luxury lifestyle, filled with supercars and private jets. However, they were targeted for cryptocurrency 'extortion,' according to law enforcement reports.
They leave behind children who have been collected by their grandparents following the tragedy.
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“The investigation has established that the killers had accomplices who helped organise the abduction," said Svetlana Petrenko from the Russian Investigative Committee. “They rented cars and premises where the victims were held by force."
She added: “After the murder, the perpetrators disposed of the knives and the victims’ personal belongings, leaving them in different Emirates.”
Family members sounded the alarm after the couple went missing. At the time, Roman was under investigation, accused of stealing over £380 million from cryptocurrency investors under the guise of business development.
Local reporting suggested his alleged victims were 'businessmen from China and Middle Eastern countries,' while Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper noted he presented himself as operating at the level of Arab sheikhs.
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“In reality, Novak was simply a talented manipulator who managed to convince people to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars,” they reported.
He allegedly operated a cryptocurrency network through an app developed by Ukrainian programmers. and has previously served time in prison for embezzlement, local media reported.