Roman Novak, a crypto fraudster, and his wife were killed in the UAE.: what is known

The investigation revealed that Roman Novak from St. Petersburg and his wife Anna were abducted and killed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after extorting cryptocurrencies, and the suspects, Russian citizens, were detained and arrested in St. Petersburg. Law enforcement officers also found out that after the crime, fraudulent loan messages were sent on Novak's behalf, and he himself had large debts and a ban on leaving the Russian Federation. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

What is known about the abduction of the couple

According to sources, Novak and his wife stopped contacting about a month ago, and their phones were last recorded in Hatta and Oman on October 4. It is reported that the couple were on their way to a meeting with unidentified investors, where they were taken by a personal driver. At the same time, the signal of their devices later disappeared, which became the basis for the initiation of a murder case against two individuals.

The official materials of the Investigative Committee of Russia note that the couple got into another car and left for a meeting, after which the connection with them was cut off. Investigators believe that the criminals stole them to extort cryptocurrencies.

"Subsequently, the attackers killed both victims, and the bodies were buried in a deserted area," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

According to the latest information, Anna's children were taken by their grandfather, who stated that it was impossible to disclose the details yet, as the investigation was underway. Operational measures are continuing, and law enforcement officers are establishing additional circumstances of the incident.

How did the detentions and arrests take place?

It is reported that three suspects have been detained — all of them are probably Russian citizens. Among them was Konstantin Sh., who had previously been sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking. The joint press service of the courts confirmed the arrest of Vladimir Dalekin, Yuri Sharypov and Konstantin Shakhty.

The court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for a period until December 28. A criminal case is being investigated against all three defendants under the article on the murder of two or more persons. The investigation found that the criminals rented cars and premises where they held the spouses during the abduction.

In addition, interrogations and checks on the possible involvement of others in the organization of the crime are continuing. The investigation emphasizes that the actions of all participants will be legally qualified after the completion of examinations and analysis of evidence.

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What information surfaced about Novak after the murder

According to sources, Roman Novak was banned from leaving Russia due to fraud charges in excess of 7 million rubles. Experts note that despite the restrictions, he was able to leave for Dubai, where he created the Fintopio crypto project and attracted investors with a minimum contribution of $1 million. It is reported that customers could not withdraw funds because the promised tokens did not actually exist.

After the murder, a request for a loan of $200,000 was sent from Novak's account, where it was reported that he was in Oman and found himself in a difficult situation.

"I urgently need to send $200,000 for work to people," the correspondence says. The source said that the message was probably sent by scammers who had gained access to the account.

Novak's debt obligations in Russia exceeded 6.4 million rubles, and nine enforcement proceedings were opened against him. Several proceedings were later discontinued according to the procedure provided for by the law on enforcement proceedings.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.