New Zealand authorities have successfully retrieved a Fabergé pendant, inspired by James Bond, following a six-day surveillance of a suspect who allegedly ingested the jewelry at a shop in Auckland.
The pendant was naturally expelled from the suspect’s body on Thursday night, negating the need for any medical procedures, according to police reports.
This exclusive Fabergé egg pendant draws its inspiration from the 1983 James Bond movie Octopussy, which features a storyline involving a jewel smuggling scheme centered around a counterfeit Fabergé egg.
A photo provided by New Zealand police reveals a gloved hand holding the recovered pendant, attached to its long gold chain, with the price tag still intact, indicating its value at NZ$33,000 (approximately US$28,700).
The suspect was apprehended on November 28 inside Partridge Jewellers in Auckland shortly after the alleged theft took place.
He appeared in court on November 29 but did not submit a plea to the theft charge. Since the arrest, he has remained in police custody, closely monitored by officers awaiting the pendant’s return.
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 on 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 centimetres 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.”
