A Russian couple known as cryptocurrency millionaires were found dead in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) a month after they went missing.
According to Russian Moscow Times, U.S. New York Post, and other outlets on the 12th (local time), cryptocurrency entrepreneur Roman Novak and his wife Anna disappeared in Dubai early last month.
The couple lost contact after meeting an unidentified investor following an investment proposal. They were last seen on the 2nd of last month near a lake adjacent to Dubai’s Hatta Mountain Resort, heading to meet the investor.
The driver who transported them stated that after dropping the couple off near the lake, he saw them switch to another vehicle. They are now presumed to have been kidnapped.
According to Russian local media Fontanka, the kidnappers lured the couple to a villa in Hatta village and demanded the password to Novak’s cryptocurrency wallet. However, upon discovering the wallet was empty, they allegedly killed the couple, mutilated their bodies, and disposed of parts in a shopping mall trash bin and buried the rest in the desert.
Russian investigators handling the case reported that the couple’s phone signals were detected in mountainous areas near Hatta and Oman for several days after their disappearance, then last picked up in Cape Town, South Africa, before cutting off completely on October 4th. Authorities believe the kidnappers staged this to confuse the investigation.
In connection with the case, eight Russian nationals were arrested. The New York Post reported that this group included a former investor who had been defrauded by Novak and a former employee of Russia’s Interior Ministry. Three face murder charges, while the others are accused of planning the killings by purchasing weapons allegedly used in the crime.
Novak founded the cryptocurrency transfer platform ‘Fintopio,’ raising funds from investors in Russia, China, and the Middle East. He and his wife had flaunted their luxurious lifestyle on social media (SNS), posting photos of luxury cars, private jets, and vacations.
However, Novak was reportedly involved in cryptocurrency fraud for years and had previously been sentenced to six years in prison in Russia for extorting approximately $100,000 from investors, though he was released early.
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