New Zealand police announced on Friday that they successfully retrieved a Fabergé pendant inspired by James Bond after monitoring a suspect for six days. The man was arrested under suspicion of having swallowed the jewelry during a theft at an Auckland store.
The pendant was recovered on Thursday evening after it left the suspect’s body naturally, without any medical assistance.
This limited edition piece is based on the 1983 James Bond film *Octopussy*, which features a storyline about jewelry smuggling using replicas of Fabergé eggs.
A less-than-glamorous photo released by police shows a gloved hand with the retrieved pendant and a long gold chain, still attached to a tag displaying its $19,000 price.
The man was taken into custody at Partridge Jewelers in Auckland on November 28, shortly following the alleged theft.
He faced the court on November 29 but refrained from entering a plea regarding the theft accusation.
Currently, the 32-year-old suspect’s name is not disclosed. He remains in police custody, awaiting his next court appearance on Monday, while officers maintain around-the-clock surveillance.
“Given that this man is in police custody, we have a duty of care to continue to monitor him given the circumstances that have occurred,” stated Inspector Gray Anderson earlier this week.
The egg pendant is one of only 50 created, crafted from gold, coated in green enamel, and adorned with 183 diamonds and two sapphires, as detailed on the store’s website.
Standing at 3.3 inches tall, it comes mounted on a stand. The description reveals that opening the egg reveals an 18K yellow gold octopus, embellished with white diamond suction cups and black diamond eyes. The piece, named “Octopus Surprise,” nods to the film’s central antagonist.
