A spectacular jewellery-heist allegedly took a bizarre turn when a 32-year-old man is said to have swallowed a luxury pendant — valued at 33,000 New Zealand dollars (about US $19,000) — in an attempt to smuggle it out of a high-end jewellery store in central Auckland. The ornate piece, a limited-edition creation by Fabergé, draws its inspiration from the 1983 Bond film Octopussy and is styled after a jewel-smuggling plot featured in the film.
The incident is alleged to have occurred on November 28 at Partridge Jewellers, where the man reportedly picked up the pendant and swallowed it inside the store. Staff immediately alerted authorities, and police apprehended him within minutes. On arrest, he underwent a medical examination and was placed under continuous supervision by officers.
Court documents show he appeared before the Auckland District Court on November 29, facing theft charges, though he did not enter a plea. His next hearing is scheduled for December 8. His identity has not been made public as of now.
The pendant in question is no ordinary gold trinket. As per the jeweller’s own description, it stands about 8.4 cm tall, and is crafted from 18-karat yellow gold, adorned with green enamel, and set with a remarkable number of precious stones — 183 diamonds and two sapphires. Inside the pendant, which resembles a decorative “egg,” lies a miniature gold octopus with diamond-studded suckers and black diamond eyes. Only fifty of these limited-edition pieces were made globally, which partly explains their steep valuation.
Now, law enforcement finds itself in the unenviable position of waiting for nature to take its course. Because the pendant remains unaccounted for, police are relying on the possibility that it may be retrieved only after it passes through the suspect’s digestive system. An officer has been assigned to monitor him constantly while the watch continues. “At this stage the pendant has not been recovered,” said Grae Anderson, the officer in charge.
Although the case has drawn considerable media attention — partly because of its cinematic absurdity — authorities say they remain focused on the practicalities: recovering the item intact for use as evidence and ensuring the suspect’s health remains stable throughout the ordeal.
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