Authorities in the UAE have discovered the bodies of Russian cryptocurrency scammers Roman Novak and his wife, Anna, who were k+lled in October.
According to Russian media outlet 47news on December 1, the remains were buried in thick plastic bags in a remote desert area following the detention of several suspects linked to the double homicide.
UAE police, citing testimony from individuals arrested in connection with the case, located the bodies within a 500-by-500-meter area of desert.
The couple’s remains were reportedly intact, placed in polyethylene bags, and covered with chemical solvents. Authorities have initiated procedures to repatriate the bodies to Russia for burial.
Roman Novak, originally from Saint Petersburg, was the founder of Fintopio, a platform for rapid cryptocurrency transfers. He reportedly raised up to $500 million in investments before disappearing.
In 2020, Novak was sentenced in Russia to six years in prison for frayd, and multiple enforcement proceedings were ongoing against him at the time of his death.
According to 47news, the Novaks were lured to a rented villa in the Emirati city of Hatta under the pretense of meeting potential investors. There, they were allegedly tortured for access to their crypto wallets and subsequently killed. The UAE police discovered their remains in November, though confirmation was only recently issued.
Three individuals have been detained in Saint Petersburg in connection with the killings, including 53-year-old Konstantin Shakht, believed to be the organizer. Two suspects admitted to the murders, while Shakht denied all charges.
The case comes amid other suspicious d+aths of high-profile Russians, including former transport minister Roman Starovoit, raising concerns over possible embezzlement-related cover-ups.