Grim Discovery in UAE Desert
Chilling revelations have surfaced regarding the final hours of a cryptocurrency couple, Roman Novak, 38, and his 37-year-old wife Anna, who were tragically discovered deceased in a remote desert area of the United Arab Emirates, their bodies disturbingly encased in plastic.
The couple, who had relocated to Dubai from Russia following Roman’s three-year prison sentence for crypto fraud, had been reported missing in October. Subsequently, three individuals have been apprehended on suspicion of their murders.
Harrowing accounts now suggest that the pair may have been subjected to witnessing each other’s torture before their ultimate demise. Roman, originally from Saint Petersburg, was recognized as the founder of Fintopio, a cryptocurrency transfer platform. This venture had garnered approximately £370 million in funding upon its launch in 2023, but it abruptly ceased operations for an “operational review” in October, leaving users unable to access their invested funds.
According to Russian police, the remains were found concealed within polyethylene bags and subsequently encased in concrete, though their bodies were largely intact. It is widely believed that the young couple were enticed to a rented villa in Hatta under the guise of a meeting with prospective investors. Their journey was partially facilitated by their personal driver, before they were transferred to another vehicle to complete the trip.
The prevailing theory is that the Russian couple endured torture at the villa, with the perpetrators seeking access to their cryptocurrency wallets. Friends of the couple later reported receiving messages indicating they were “stuck in the mountains on the Oman border” and urgently required £152,000, after which all communication ceased.
Furthermore, signals from the couple’s mobile phones continued to be detected for several days following their disappearance, initially within the UAE and later near Cape Town, South Africa, with the final recorded signal occurring on October 4. Investigators posit that the phones were deliberately activated in different locations to create a ‘smokescreen’ aimed at misleading law enforcement.
In connection with this double homicide, three suspects were arrested in Saint Petersburg. Among them is Konstantin Shakht, a 53-year-old former police officer, whom investigators believe orchestrated the crime. The other two suspects have reportedly confessed to the killings, while Shakht vehemently denies all charges levied against him.
Roman and Anna were parents to two young children, who were not in their company at the time of their deaths. Anna’s father and stepmother have since traveled to Dubai to be reunited with the orphaned children. Arrangements are underway for the couple’s remains to be repatriated to Russia.
Prior to his disappearance, Roman cultivated an image as a successful cryptocurrency investor, claiming to be the progenitor of a payment platform designed to expedite cryptocurrency transfers. He had successfully persuaded investors from China, the Middle East, and other regions to finance his project, often by promising lucrative partnerships with major technology firms and asserting personal connections with influential industry figures.