Bodies of Russian crypto investor and wife found in UAE desert

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have recovered the bodies of Russian crypto investor Roman Novak and his wife, Anna, who were killed in October.

Russian outlet 47news reported on December 1 that the couple’s remains were found in thick plastic bags in a remote desert area after several suspects connected to the double murder were detained. According to UAE police information cited by the outlet, the bodies were located within a 500-by-500-meter patch of desert, based on statements from those arrested.

The bodies were intact, sealed in polyethylene bags, and covered with chemical solvents. Officials have now begun the formal process of repatriating them to Russia for burial.

Novak, a Saint Petersburg native, founded Fintopio, a platform for fast cryptocurrency transfers. Before vanishing, he reportedly raised up to $500 million in investments. In 2020, he was sentenced in Russia to six years in prison for fraud, and at the time of his death, multiple enforcement actions were still pending against him.

According to 47news, the Novaks were lured to a rented villa in Hatta, UAE, under the guise of meeting potential investors. There, they were tortured for access to their crypto wallets and subsequently killed. Police in the UAE reportedly located the remains in November, though the news was only officially confirmed recently.

The outlet also reported that three men were detained in Saint Petersburg as suspects, including 53-year-old Konstantin Shakht, believed to be the mastermind. Two suspects confessed, while Shakht denied involvement.

Separately, United24 Media earlier reported the death of former Russian transport minister Roman Starovoit near Moscow shortly after his dismissal, prompting speculation of a possible cover-up linked to embezzlement investigations.