Russian authorities have initiated a criminal investigation into the suspected murder of a couple from St. Petersburg, who disappeared in the United Arab Emirates earlier in October. Reports indicate that they may have been kidnapped and murdered after being held for ransom.
According to the Russian Investigative Committee, which examines serious crimes, family members of Roman Novak and his wife Anna reported them missing after they lost contact for several days. The couple, who resided in Dubai, were last seen by their driver on October 2, when he dropped them off near a lake in the Hatta region, close to the Omani border, for what was purportedly a meeting with potential investors. They subsequently transferred to another vehicle and were not seen again.
The St. Petersburg news agency Fontanka, citing unnamed sources, has reported that eight Russian nationals are suspected of being involved in the incident, including three alleged masterminds and five intermediaries.
As of now, seven suspects have reportedly been detained in Russia, and investigators are collaborating with authorities in the UAE to clarify the complete details surrounding the case.
Fontanka’s sources revealed that the victims were allegedly lured to a rented villa under the guise of an investment meeting, where they were reportedly assaulted and murdered after they refused to provide access to cryptocurrency assets. Their dismembered bodies were allegedly discovered on October 3 near Fujairah.
Both Russian and Emirati law enforcement agencies seem to have tracked the suspects’ movements through surveillance footage and phone signals that appeared momentarily in Oman and later in South Africa before vanishing on October 4.
Fontanka also indicated that four of the five intermediaries are likely to be released this week, as investigators have determined that they were unwittingly involved in organizing what they believed to be an investment meeting.
Roman Novak had gained notoriety in Russia’s cryptocurrency industry by portraying himself as a successful business figure with connections to Telegram founder Pavel Durov. He established the Fintopio platform, which promised swift cryptocurrency transactions and alliances with prominent tech companies, attracting investors from Russia, China, and the Middle East.
In November 2020, Novak was convicted of fraud and sentenced to six years in a St. Petersburg prison for deceiving partners in investment and crypto ventures. He was released in 2023, after which he relocated abroad and continued to seek investments for new projects.
The couple leaves behind two young children, who are now in the care of their relatives.
