Russian investigators have opened a murder case into the deaths of Russian crypto entrepreneur Roman Novak and his wife Anna, who disappeared in the United Arab Emirates in early October. The couple, long active in high-risk cryptocurrency investment projects, now stands at the center of a cross-border criminal investigation that links digital assets to violent crime.
Roman Novak and Anna lived in Dubai and promoted investment in cryptocurrency ventures across Russia, China, and the Middle East. Relatives reported them missing after several days without contact, which they considered unusual for the couple’s routine communication with family.
The couple was last seen on 2 October near Hatta, close to the border with Oman. Their driver left them at a lakeside location for what they described as a meeting with potential investors and watched them transfer into another vehicle.
Investigators now believe the Novaks went to a rented villa, where their attackers ambushed them. Reports indicate that the kidnappers tried to force access to cryptocurrency wallets and other digital assets connected to Novak’s projects.
The following day, authorities in the UAE reportedly found dismembered remains near the city of Fujairah. Russian and Emirati agencies began cooperating soon after, while the couple’s two young children went into the care of relatives.
Russian media reports that investigators identified eight Russian citizens as suspects in the alleged kidnapping and murder. Three suspects allegedly planned the operation, while five acted as intermediaries who helped arrange what they believed was a legitimate investment meeting.
Law enforcement tracked the suspects using surveillance cameras and phone location data. Signals linked to members of the group surfaced briefly in Oman and later in South Africa before disappearing on 4 October. Several suspects then returned to Russia, where police detained seven of them.
Early findings suggest that some intermediaries did not know about the planned violence or ransom demands. Investigators expect to release four of them after questioning, while they continue to focus on the alleged organizers of the crypto-related crime.
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Roman Novak had a controversial record in Russia’s crypto and investment scene. He promoted himself as a successful digital entrepreneur with contacts in prominent technological figures and launched the Fintopio platform, which promised fast crypto transfers and collaborations with major brands.
In November 2020, he was convicted by a Russian court of large-scale fraud for defrauding partners in investments and cryptocurrency projects and sentenced to six years in prison. He secured release in 2023 and fled to another country, where he resumed fundraising for new digital projects to target international investors.
The case now reflects the increasing correlation between cryptocurrency wealth and physical threats such as ransom kidnappings. Investigators in Russia and the UAE are still tracking down Novak's missing financial connections and digital assets, and authorities are investigating how organized groups may view high-profile figures in the crypto industry as targets.