Crypto millionaire couple kidnapped, bodies buried in desert
The dismembered bodies of a Russian cryptocurrency millionaire and his wife have been found in the desert after a month missing in the UAE.
Husband and wife Roman and Anna Novak were last seen last month while driving to meet “investors” by a lake in the Hatta mountain resort area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The couple were later reported kidnapped and extorted for cryptocurrency, but “the ransom was not paid.” After a month with no contact, they were found dismembered and buried in the desert.
According to reports from law enforcement sources, Roman and Anna were known for flaunting their luxurious lifestyle on social media — posting photos of luxury cars, private jets in Dubai, and mingling with high-profile elites, including Telegram founder and billionaire Pavel Durov.
Svetlana Petrenko of the Russian Investigative Committee stated: “The investigation determined that the killers had accomplices who helped organize the kidnapping. They rented vehicles and secured a location where the victims were forcibly detained. After committing the crime, they disposed of the knife, the victims’ personal belongings, and their bodies.” The suspects later fled back to Russia.
According to the committee, Roman and Anna had arranged to meet unidentified investors in Hatta. Their private driver dropped them off at a lakeside parking lot, where they were transferred into another vehicle and driven away to the meeting. That was the last time they were seen.
At the time, Roman reportedly texted several acquaintances, saying he was “stuck in the mountains near the Oman border” and urgently needed $200,000.
Their phone signals were later traced to Hatta for several days, then to Oman, and finally to Cape Town, South Africa — where the signal disappeared in early October.
Authorities in Russia and the UAE are cooperating on the case. So far, three suspects — all Russian nationals, including a former police officer — have been arrested in Russia. They will remain in custody pending investigation until December 28.
At the time of his disappearance, Roman was also under investigation for allegedly defrauding cryptocurrency investors of approximately $500 million, under the guise of business expansion projects. Among his reported victims were entrepreneurs from China and several Middle Eastern countries.