Overview
- Roman and Anna Novak were discovered dead roughly a month after disappearing en route to a supposed investor meeting near Hatta in the UAE.
- Reports indicate the victims were dismembered and buried in the desert near Hatta, following failed efforts to extract access to cryptocurrency holdings.
- The Russian Investigative Committee says accomplices rented cars and premises to hold the couple, then discarded knives and belongings across several emirates.
- Arrests have been made as part of a joint Russia–UAE probe, though accounts differ on totals and locations, ranging from three detainees in Russian regions to seven suspects including links to Kazakhstan.
- Novak, previously convicted in 2020 for large-scale crypto fraud and later operating the Fintopio app from Dubai, had sent a $200,000 plea for help before contact was lost, while the couple’s underage children are now with relatives.