"Swallowed in an Instant"... The Fate of the Thief Who Stole a 28 Million Won Pendant

[Financial News] New Zealand police successfully recovered a diamond-studded Fabergé egg pendant that a thief had swallowed, following a six-day pursuit. The case drew attention as an unusual incident involving jewelry theft.

According to foreign media outlets such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Agence France-Presse (AFP), the incident occurred on the 28th of last month at a jewelry store in central Auckland, New Zealand. A man in his 30s reportedly swallowed the Fabergé egg pendant while browsing jewelry. He attempted to flee but was promptly arrested by police who responded to the store staff’s report.
The recovered item was not a full-sized, ornate Fabergé egg, but rather a small necklace pendant inspired by its design. Traditionally, Fabergé eggs were gifts from Russian emperors to their empresses for Easter, each containing a surprise inside.
The pendant swallowed by the suspect was created to commemorate the 1983 film Octopussy. At its center is a golden octopus motif, set with 60 white diamonds and 15 blue sapphires. Only 50 of these rare items were produced worldwide, and its value is estimated at 33,585 New Zealand dollars, or about 28 million won.
At the time of arrest, the pendant was not found in the suspect’s stomach. However, on the sixth day after the incident, the pendant was naturally expelled from his body. Police reportedly monitored the suspect closely, waiting for the pendant to pass naturally.
Local police released photos of the recovered pendant immediately after retrieval. In the published images, an officer wearing gloves is seen holding the cleaned pendant. In an official statement, police confirmed, "The jewelry has been recovered and is currently in police custody."
The man who swallowed the pendant is also accused of stealing an iPad from the same jewelry store on the 12th of last month. The suspect appeared at Auckland District Court the day after his arrest and is scheduled to return to court on the 8th.

hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter