Authorities have accused two veterans of Russia’s war in Ukraine and a former homicide investigator of murdering and dismembering a Russian cryptocurrency millionaire and his wife in the United Arab Emirates.
The couple’s mutilated remains were reportedly found buried in the desert near Dubai after they were abducted and held for ransom.
Roman Novak, 38, and his wife, Anna, disappeared about a month ago after traveling to the Hatta mountain resort outside Dubai to meet individuals posing as potential investors.
Shortly after their disappearance, the couple’s family reportedly received a ransom demand.
When the payment was not made, the pair were killed.
Investigators believe the couple was murdered inside a rented villa in Hatta, and their bodies were later dismembered and buried, The Moscow Times reports.
Former Detective and Two Ex-Soldiers Arrested
Russian authorities identified the three primary suspects as Konstantin Shakht, 53, a former homicide investigator who later became involved in drug trafficking, and two ex-soldiers (Yury Sharypov, 46, and Vladimir Dalekin, 45) both of whom had fought in Ukraine before being discharged.
Roman Novak and Anna Novak. Credit: X.
The suspects were arrested in St. Petersburg and the Russian regions of Stavropol and Krasnodar after returning from Dubai. They are being held in custody until December 28.
According to the Russian news outlet Fontanka, the suspects demanded access to Novak’s cryptocurrency wallet during the abduction.
“Novak didn’t resist, but there was no cryptocurrency left. The wallet was empty,” the report said.
When no ransom was secured, the couple was killed, according to The Express US.
Investigators Uncover Chilling Details
Svetlana Petrenko, a representative of the Russian Investigative Committee, confirmed that accomplices helped organize the abduction by renting vehicles and properties used to hold the victims captive.
“After the murder, the perpetrators disposed of the knives and personal belongings of the victims, leaving them in different emirates,” Petrenko said, via Nova News.
Evidence recovered by UAE police included traces of Anna Novak’s blood inside the villa, blood in a rented car, and a cache of knives near the scene.
A T-shirt belonging to one of the suspects was also found, reportedly left behind as the killers fled.
Final Messages and Desperate Pleas for Help
Before his death, Novak reportedly sent a message saying he was “stuck in the mountains on the Oman border” and urgently needed $200,000.
Investigators later discovered that the suspects deliberately turned on the couple’s phones in various locations (including Oman and Cape Town) to mislead authorities.
The couple’s relatives in Russia raised the alarm when contact was lost.
Crypto Wealth and Controversial Dealings
Novak, known on social media for flaunting his luxurious lifestyle of fast cars and private jets, was already under investigation in Russia for allegedly defrauding cryptocurrency investors of over $380 million.
According to Komsomolskaya Pravda, he claimed to run a “fast and reliable crypto network” developed with the help of Ukrainian programmers.
Authorities said he targeted investors from China and the Middle East, presenting himself as a high-level entrepreneur connected to tech mogul Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram.
Credit: @t0r / Instagram.
“In reality, Novak was a skilled manipulator who convinced people to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars,” KP reported.
Novak had previously served time in prison for embezzlement. Russian investigators were reportedly auditing crypto exchanges in Moscow to trace his investments at the time of his disappearance.
Family Left Behind
Roman and Anna Novak leave behind their children, who have since been placed in the care of Anna’s parents.
The investigation (a joint effort between Russian and UAE authorities) remains ongoing as officials continue to trace the financial motives and additional suspects behind the brutal double murder.