Crypto Couple Lured to Their Deaths in Elaborate Kidnap Plot
A Russian cryptocurrency millionaire and his wife were brutally kidnapped and dismembered after being tricked into meeting supposed investors in the United Arab Emirates. Roman Novak, 38, and his wife Anna vanished a month ago after driving to the mountain resort of Hatta in Dubai.
The Final Journey and Desperate Plea for Help
The Dubai-based couple, who frequently showcased a life of luxury with fast cars and private jets on social media, were driven to a car park by a lake by their personal driver. They then transferred to another vehicle to complete their journey. It was at this point that Roman Novak sent a desperate message to contacts, stating he was 'stuck in the mountains on the Oman border' and urgently needed £152,000. After this, all contact with the couple was lost.
Their phones were tracked for two days in Hatta, then in Oman, and finally in Cape Town, where the signals disappeared in early October. Investigators now believe the killers deliberately activated the phones to mislead the investigation.
A Gruesome Discovery and International Manhunt
The alarm was raised by the couple's relatives in Russia. Their severed remains were later discovered buried in a desert area of the UAE. Emirati police found traces of Anna Novak's blood at a villa, blood in a rented car, a cache of knives, and a T-shirt left behind by one of the organisers.
Three Russian suspects have since been detained in St Petersburg, Stavropol, and Krasnodar after returning from Dubai. They were identified as Konstantin Shakht, 53, a former homicide investigator turned drug smuggler; Yury Sharypov, 46; and Vladimir Dalekin, 45, both of whom fought for Russia in the war in Ukraine before being discharged.
The alleged kidnappers, posing as investors, abducted the couple and demanded the password to Novak's crypto wallet. 'Novak didn't resist - but there was no cryptocurrency left. The wallet was empty,' reported the Fontanka news outlet. Unable to secure a ransom, the perpetrators killed and dismembered Roman and Anna.
A Shadowy Past and Ongoing Investigations
At the time of his disappearance, Roman Novak was himself under investigation for the alleged theft of more than £38 million from crypto investors. Reports suggest he had a history of presenting himself as a peer to elites like Telegram founder Pavel Durov, but was in reality a 'talented manipulator' who had previously served a prison sentence for embezzlement.
The three main suspects have been remanded in custody until 28 December, and five other Russians under the age of 25 are believed to be connected to the case. The couple's orphaned children are now in the care of Anna's parents.
