A New Zealand man has been charged with theft after allegedly swallowing a Faberge James Bond octopus egg pendant worth more than A$33,500 (US$19,200).
Police were called to the central Auckland jewelery store, Partridge Jewellers, on Friday afternoon after staff reported a man allegedly picked up a pendant and swallowed it, said Gray Anderson, the city’s central area commander.
“The Oakland City Beat Team responded a few minutes later and arrested the man inside the store,” Anderson said.
A charge sheet seen by the Guardian confirms that a 32-year-old man was charged with allegedly stealing a Faberge x 007 Special Edition Octopussy Egg Surprise Locket worth $33,585 on November 29.
Fabergé is one of the world’s most famous jewelers, best known for its Imperial Russian Eggs.
According to Fabergé’s website, the pendant is made of 18-karat yellow gold and decorated with green guilloché enamel. It is studded with 60 white diamonds and 15 blue sapphires.
The egg locket “offers a surprise” – inside is a small 18k gold octopus with two black diamond eyes.
Police could not produce any photographs of the item because it “has not yet been recovered”.
The man was also accused of allegedly stealing an iPad from the same jewelry store on Nov. 12 and stealing $100 worth of cat litter and flea treatment from a private address the next day.
He has been remanded in custody and will appear again in the district court on December 8.
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