Overview
- Russian investigators confirm Roman and Anna Novak were found in November in the UAE desert wrapped in plastic and encased in concrete, with chemical solvents reportedly used to remove DNA.
- Three suspects were detained in Saint Petersburg, including former police officer Konstantin Shakht, as two men admitted or pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murder while Shakht denies the charges.
- Authorities report the couple were drawn to a rented villa in Hatta under a fake investor meeting, abducted, and tortured for access to digital wallets, with accounts saying they were forced to watch each other’s ordeal.
- Friends received final messages claiming the couple were stuck near the Oman border and needed £152,000, and phone signals later pinged across the UAE and near Cape Town in what detectives call a smokescreen; the last ping was October 4.
- Roman Novak founded the Fintopio platform, which reportedly drew about $500 million before access froze in October, and investigators say repatriation and cross‑border inquiries continue with further arrests anticipated.