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Dubai Killing of Russian Couple Linked to Crypto Extortion as Three Suspects Detained

Investigators describe a bid to force crypto‑wallet access that yielded no money.

Overview

  • Forensic teams confirmed that bodies recovered from concrete slabs buried in the desert were Roman and Anna Novak.
  • Authorities say the pair were lured on October 2 by a supposed investor and tortured for access codes to crypto wallets that held no funds.
  • Three Russian nationals—Konstantin Shakht, Yury Sharypov, and Vladimir Dalekin—were arrested after returning to Saint Petersburg and remain in custody.
  • Investigators report the killers used polyethylene bags with chemicals before encasing the bodies in concrete and burying them roughly 130 kilometers from Dubai.
  • Officials say accomplices arranged cars and premises and helped dispose of evidence, while Russian media allege Novak’s displayed wealth stemmed from investor fraud of about $50 million.