The bodies of St. Petersburg businessman Roman Novak and his wife have been found in the United Arab Emirates. According to Baza, the couple disappeared a month ago: their phones were last detected in Cape Town on October 4, after which contact was lost.

Relatives raised the alarm. The investigation revealed that the Novak family had been kidnapped by extortionists. When it became clear that no ransom would be paid, the couple was murdered. Russian citizens were implicated in the crime; they have been detained and will soon be transferred to St. Petersburg.

Roman Novak has been repeatedly convicted of fraud: he was accused of embezzling over $500 million from investors under the guise of business development. He posed as a member of Telegram's board of directors and "deputy" to the app's vice president, Ilya Perekopsky.

The couple is survived by minor children. The investigation is ongoing.