DUBAI: The bodies of Russian crypto millionaire Roman Novak and his wife Anna were found dismembered and buried in the desert near Dubai.
They were discovered a month after the couple was reported missing in the United Arab Emirates.
The pair was reported missing in early October after several days without contact, and were last seen heading to a lake near the Hatta mountain resort to meet an “unknown investor.”
Following this, the couple’s mobile phones were traced to Hatta and Oman a few days after they disappeared.
They were later detected in Cape Town, South Africa, before the signal was lost entirely on Oct 4.
Svetlana Petrenko of the Russian Investigative Committee said the killers had accomplices who helped plan the abduction.
“They rented vehicles and premises to detain the victims by force,” she said.
“After the murders, the suspects disposed of the weapons and the victims’ personal belongings in several areas of the United Arab Emirates,” added Petrenko
The suspects, all Russian nationals, have been detained and are expected to be extradited to Saint Petersburg.
Anna’s father and stepmother are said to have travelled to Dubai to care for their underage grandchild.
Roman and Anna were known for showcasing a lavish lifestyle on social media.
Their posts featured luxury cars, private jets and connections with prominent figures such as Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram.
Roman had a criminal record, including a 2020 fraud conviction and a six-year prison sentence.
At the time of his disappearance, he was under investigation for allegedly defrauding crypto investors of more than US$499 million (RM1.79bil).
Victims reportedly included businessmen from China and the Middle East.
