Police recover a swallowed Fabergé pendant after a 6-day wait for it to reappear
By CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY
Associated Press
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand Police said Friday they have recovered a James Bond-inspired Fabergé pendant after six days of closely watching the man accused of swallowing the jewelry in an Auckland store.
They said the pendant was recovered Thursday night after it exited the suspect’s gastrointestinal tract naturally without medical intervention.
The limited-edition, Fabergé egg pendant was inspired by the 1983 James Bond film “Octopussy,” in which a jewel-smuggling operation involves a fake Fabergé egg.
A less glamorous photo supplied by New Zealand’s police Friday showed a gloved hand holding the recovered pendant and its long, gold chain with an intact price tag showing the jewelry’s 33,000 New Zealand dollar ($19,000) value.
The man was arrested inside Partridge Jewelers in Auckland on Nov. 28 shortly after the alleged theft.
He made a court appearance Nov. 29, when he didn’t enter a plea to a charge of theft. Since then, he’s been in police custody and officers had been stationed round the clock with the man to wait for the evidence to reemerge.
The 32-year-old man has not been publicly named. He is due to appear in Auckland District Court on Monday and will remain in police custody until then.
“Given this man is in Police custody, we have a duty of care to continue monitoring him given the circumstances of what has occurred,” Inspector Grae Anderson said in a statement Wednesday.
The store’s website says the egg, one of only 50 made, was crafted from gold, painted with green enamel and encrusted with 183 diamonds and two sapphires. The pendant is 8.4 centimeters (3.3 inches) tall and is mounted on a stand.
“The egg opens to reveal an 18ct yellow gold octopus nestled inside, adorned with white diamond suckers and black diamond eyes,” an item description said. “The octopus surprise pays homage to the eponymous antagonist at the center of the ‘Octopussy’ film.”
