Cryptocurrency millionaire Roman Novak, 38, was found buried in concrete in the UAE desert along with 37-year-old wife Anna after being ‘lured’ by a fake investment opportunity
A cryptocurrency scammer and his wife were encased in concrete and buried in the desert after watching each other being tortured to death, it has emerged.
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the bodies of Roman Novak, 38, and his 37-year-old wife Anna were discovered buried in in thick plastic bags in a remote desert area in the UAE. The pair, who moved to Dubai after Mr Novak served three years in jail in Russia for crypto fraud, were first reported missing in October, with reports of their gruesome fate coming to light this week.
Roman, from Saint Petersburg, was the founder of Fintopio, a cryptocurrency transfer platform that saw significant investment of around $500 million (£378 million) following its launch in 2023 but abruptly closed for an “operational review” in October, leaving users with no access to their funds.
Many Fintopio users were based abroad, including a number in the Middle East.
According to Russian police, Roman and Anna’s bodies appeared mostly intact when they were found last month, and were wrapped up in polyethylene bags and buried in concrete. Chemical solvents had been used in an attempt to scrub traces of DNA.
The couple are believed to have been lured to a rented villa in the Emirati city of Hatta under the pretence of meeting potential investors, but upon arrival were tortured for access to their crypto wallets, and later killed.
They had been driven to Hatta by their personal driver, but left to get in another vehicle halfway through the journey. Within a few hours, friends began recieving text messages telling them he was ‘stuck in the mountains on the Oman border’ and urgently needed £152,000. Shortly after the messages, all contact with the couple was lost.
Signals continued to be received from the couple’s mobile phones for several days after they went missing, first within the UAE and later near Cape Town, South Africa, with the last ‘ping’ on October 4.
Detectives believe phones were turned on in different locations as a ‘smokescreen’ to confuse investigators.
Anna’s father and stepmother flew to Dubai to retrieve the couple’s two young children after the couple’s disappearance, and the couple’s bodies are due to be repatriated to Russia.
Three people have been arrested in Saint Petersburg in connection with the double murder, including 53-year-old former police Konstantin Shakht, who investigators believe arranged the hit. Two suspects have admitted to the killing, while Shakht denies all charges.