Moscow investigators on Monday said they сharged an employee of the state-run diamond producer Alrosa, her son and two others in connection with a diamond theft scheme at the company.

Valentina Matyushenkova, an Alrosa employee, is accused of swapping high-value diamonds with cheaper industrial-grade stones between September 2024 and January 2025, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.

Authorities say the stolen diamonds were smuggled to Armenia.

Matyushenkova was caught in the act while attempting to steal a batch of diamonds valued at more than 1.7 million rubles ($21,700), investigators said. Her son, Alexei Matyushenkov, is accused of acting as a middleman.

Two other suspects, Armen Petrosyan and Arman Sahakyan, allegedly transported the stolen stones across the border to Armenia.