Saint John police get Canada-wide warrant for 2 wanted in jewelry store robbery

A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for two suspects in connection with a jewelry store heist in Saint John that may be linked to other similar robberies.

Police in Saint John are looking for a 70-year-old male and a 44-year-old female who are wanted for the theft of a $10,000 diamond from W. Smith & Co. Fine Jewellerson Oct. 7.

The suspects have not been named, but security footage of a pair believed to have been involved in the robbery has been released.

The footage shows a man swap a gem he was being shown for a cubic zirconia while the clerk was distracted.

Once the story was circulated, store owner Wayne Smith said he started receiving calls from other jewelry stores and even police departments across Canada with similar descriptions of robberies.

Charlottetown police are looking for a man and a woman they say robbed a jewelry store there of $20,000 worth of stones, again using a swap of cubic zirconia.

Police there said they are confident they are the same people who have committed crimes in other jurisdictions, and released a photo of a pair that strongly resemble the two in the Saint John video, calling them "travelling thieves."