A cryptocurrency fraudster and his wife were encased in concrete and buried in the desert after witnessing each other being tortured to death, it has emerged.

Three individuals have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery of the bodies of Roman Novak, 38, and his 37 year old wife Anna, buried in thick plastic bags in a remote desert location in the UAE. The couple, who relocated to Dubai after Mr Novak completed a three-year prison sentence in Russia for crypto fraud, were initially reported missing in October, with details of their horrific deaths emerging this week.

Roman, originally from Saint Petersburg, founded Fintopio, a cryptocurrency transfer platform that attracted substantial investment of approximately $500 million (£378 million) after its launch in 2023 but suddenly shut down for an “operational review” in October, leaving users unable to access their funds.

Numerous Fintopio users were located overseas, including several in the Middle East.

According to Russian police, Roman and Anna’s bodies appeared largely intact when discovered last month, wrapped in polyethylene bags and buried in concrete. Chemical solvents had been deployed in an effort to eliminate traces of DNA.

The couple are believed to have been enticed to a rented villa in the Emirati city of Hatta under the guise of meeting prospective investors, but upon arrival were tortured for access to their crypto wallets, and subsequently killed. The couple had been chauffeured to Hatta by their personal driver, but switched vehicles midway through the journey.

Within a few hours, friends started receiving text messages stating he was ‘stuck in the mountains on the Oman border’ and urgently required £152,000. Shortly after these messages, all communication with the couple ceased.

Signals from the couple’s mobile phones continued for several days post their disappearance, initially within the UAE and later near Cape Town, South Africa, with the last signal detected on October 4.

Detectives suspect that the phones were activated in various locations as a ‘smokescreen’ to mislead investigators.

Following the couple’s disappearance, Anna’s father and stepmother flew to Dubai to collect the couple’s two young children, and arrangements are being made to repatriate the couple’s remains to Russia.

Three individuals have been apprehended in Saint Petersburg in relation to the double murder, including 53 year old ex-policeman Konstantin Shakht, who is believed by investigators to have orchestrated the hit. Two of the suspects have confessed to the killing, while Shakht denies all allegations.