Toronto-area duo nabbed in brazen N.B. diamond switch, police probe wider spree

A Toronto-area couple has been arrested in a daring New Brunswick diamond theft that has been connected to a series of similar heists nationwide.

READ MORE: Daring diamond thieves strike jewellers across Canada: ‘This is huge’

The Saint John Police Force said 70-year-old Grigori Zaharov and 44-year-old Natalia Feldman of Vaughan, Ont., are facing theft-related charges.

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They are currently being held by the York Regional Police Service, and will be returned to New Brunswick to answer charges.

The Saint John force says the pair “are suspects in numerous other jurisdictions for similar incidents,” and multiple police agencies are working “to determine the entirety of their actions.”

READ MORE: Daring thieves make off with $10,000 jewel in New Brunswick diamond swap

The pair were sought in an Oct. 7 theft at W. Smith and Co. Fine Jewellers in Saint John.

The store’s owner said thieves presented themselves as a couple arguing over how many carats to buy, and then switched a $10,000 diamond with a fake while the salesperson was distracted.