Overview
- Roman and Anna Novak were discovered buried in the desert near the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve weeks after they disappeared in early October.
- The couple were lured to a supposed investor meeting near Hatta and abducted, with kidnappers demanding access to Roman Novak’s cryptocurrency wallets, authorities say.
- Investigators say multiple suspects, all Russian nationals, have been detained and are expected to be extradited to St Petersburg.
- Forensic teams reported blood traces at a rented villa and in a rental car, and authorities say weapons and the victims’ belongings were discarded across the UAE.
- Mobile phones linked to the couple were traced from Hatta into Oman, with a final signal detected on Oct. 4 in Cape Town before contact was lost.