A 32-year-old man is under arrest in Auckland after allegedly gulping down a priceless Fabergé pendant just seconds before police arrived. The pendant was inspired by the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy. It is a limited-edition jewel that is worth around NZ$33,000 (roughly US$19,000). The police have placed him under 24/7 supervision, waiting for nature to run its course.
A Bond-style heist with a wild twist
Reportedly, the theft took place at Partridge Jewellers. The accused is reported to have smartly put the pendant into his mouth and swallowed it before attempting to flee. The accused was arrested inside the store within minutes. A medical evaluation was conducted after the arrest, and an officer has been assigned to monitor him continuously. The pendant he swallowed was no ordinary piece of jewellery. It was made in collaboration with Fabergé and blended it thematically with a classic Bond movie. The gold egg-shaped pendant is crusted with diamonds and sapphires. There are only 50 such pieces that exist globally. A tiny 18-carat gold octopus emerges from inside, which is a nod to the villain in the movie.
Police vigilance and the waiting game
The pendant hasn’t surfaced yet; law enforcement is treating the situation cautiously. The accused appeared before the Auckland District Court on November 29; he did not enter a plea. The assigned officers are keeping him under constant surveillance in custody. They are waiting for the item to pass through naturally. The case presents the bizarre, and the serious charges of theft are pending, and retrieving the pendant remains the top priority. The authorities and jewel-watchers alike are now reliant on human digestion in an odd twist rather than typical detective work.
The gulping down of a stolen jewel might make sense in a cinematic thriller, but in real life, it has changed a daring robbery into a bizarre spectacle. The man will be sitting under 24-hour surveillance, and the world waits quite literally for him to “deliver” the pendant.
