UAE Police Locate Remains of Russian Crypto Couple Murdered After Kidnapping

The bodies of crypto entrepreneur Roman Novak and his wife Anna were found in the desert of the United Arab Emirates. The remains surfaced on an empty stretch of land about two weeks ago. A source in Russian law enforcement told RBC that police in the Emirates discovered the bodies in November.

Photo: unsplash.com by Robert Bock, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

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UAE Police Search 250,000 Square Meters of Desert

The bodies were found inside thick black polyethylene bags filled with strong solvents. To find the remains, UAE police searched roughly 250,000 square meters of desert. Authorities have started the procedure to transfer the bodies to Russia for burial.

47news denied earlier reports claiming that the victims had been dismembered, packaged, and left in various containers around a shopping center in Hatta.

Novak’s Background and Previous Legal Troubles

Roman Novak, born in Saint Petersburg, owned the app for fast crypto transfers Fintopio. He launched his business in the UAE in 2023 after developing several earlier projects, including the crypto wallet Transcrypt and the fitness-focused platform “Sport v Narod” ("Sports for the People").

In November 2020, a court sentenced him to six years in prison for fraud. The court found that he had devised a plan to steal 100,000 dollars from a co-owner and investor of “Sport v Narod.” Novak also left debts of seven million rubles in Russia. He faced nine enforcement proceedings, six of which authorities closed because he had no assets.

Kidnapping, Torture, and Murder

The couple disappeared in October. The kidnappers tortured them while demanding access codes to a crypto wallet. The criminals ultimately killed them and buried the bodies in a remote desert area.

In early November, the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Saint Petersburg opened a case after the couple disappeared in the UAE on October 2. According to Interior Ministry representative Irina Volk, several people were detained in Saint Petersburg, Stavropol, and Krasnodar regions. In total, investigators suspect eight people of involvement.

Investigators believe three men — Konstantin Shakht, Yury Sharypov and Vladimir Dalekin — organized the crime. The Oktyabrsky District Court of Saint Petersburg ordered all three into custody until December 28. Shakht denies his guilt; the other two detainees testified that they strangled the couple.