WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s police, who have spent six days monitoring every bowel movement of a man accused of swallowing a James Bond-inspired pendant in a jewellery store, said Friday (Dec 5) that they had recovered the allegedly stolen loot.
A spokesperson said the 33,000 New Zealand dollar (US$19,000) Fabergé pendant was recovered from the man’s gastrointestinal tract on Thursday night by natural means. Medical intervention was not required.
The 32-year-old man, who has not been publicly named, has been in police custody since he allegedly ate the ornate jewelled octopus pendant at Partridge Jewellers in the city of Auckland on Nov 28. He was arrested inside the store minutes after the alleged theft.
The loot was a limited-edition, Fabergé egg pendant inspired by the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy. Central to the film’s plot is a jewel-smuggling operation that involves a fake Fabergé egg.
A less glamorous photo supplied by New Zealand’s police on Friday showed a gloved hand holding the recovered pendant, which was still attached to a long, gold chain with an intact price tag. A spokesperson said the necklace and the man would remain in police custody.
The man is due to appear in the Auckland District Court on Dec 8. He made a first appearance on Nov 29, when he did not enter a plea to a charge of theft.
Since then, officers had been stationed round the clock with the man to wait for the evidence to emerge.
“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, is crafted from gold, painted with green enamel and encrusted with 183 diamonds and two sapphires. The pendant is 8.4cm 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 centre of the Octopussy film.”
Source: CNA
