Dismembered bodies of crypto millionaire and wife found buried in Dubai desert

A Russian crypto millionaire and his wife who vanished in the United Arab Emirates a month ago have been found dismembered in a desert.

Roman and Anna Novak were last seen before driving to meet ‘unidentified investors’ by a lake in Dubai’s mountain resort of Hatta.

It was later reported that the couple were kidnapped and a ‘large ransom’ demand followed – but was ‘not paid’.

Their bodies were discovered buried in the desert after almost being killed one month ago.

Relatives in Russia raised an alarm with local authorities and so far three suspects have been detained in St Petersburg as well as the Stavropol and Krasnodar regions.

They were named as Russian citizens Konstantin Shakht, a former police officer, along with Yury Sharypov and Vladimir Dalekin.

The suspects have been remanded in custody until December 28.

Roman and Anna – who boasted of their affluent life of fast cars and private jets in Dubai on social media – were ‘extorted’ for crypto-currency, according to reports citing law enforcement.

They had wealthy contacts including the billionaire owner of the Telegram social media empire, Pavel Durov.

Svetlana Petrenko, of the Russian Investigative Committee, said: ‘The investigation has established that the killers had accomplices who helped organise the abduction.

‘They rented cars and premises where the victims were held by force.

‘After the murder, the perpetrators disposed of the knives and the victims’ personal belongings, leaving them in different emirates.’

It is alleged the suspects then returned to Russia.

The committee said that Roman and Anna were supposed to meet unidentified investors in Hatta.

Their personal driver took them to a car park by the lake where they were transferred to another car and left for the meeting. Contact was then lost with the couple, the committee said.

At this time Roman messaged contacts to say he was ‘stuck in the mountains on the Oman border’ and that he desperately needed $200,000.

The couple’s phones were tracked for days in Hatta – and then in Oman and Cape Town, where the signals vanished early last month.

The committee said authorities in Russia and the UAE were working together on the murder probe.

At the time Roman disappeared, he was under investigation over the alleged theft of more than £380 million from crypto investors on the pretext of a business development.

Among the alleged victims were ‘businessmen from China and Middle Eastern countries’, according to a Russian report.

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