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New Zealand police have retrieved a pricey diamond-encrusted Fabergé pendant after a bizarre six-day wait that ended only when the suspected thief passed the egg naturally in custody, according to reports.
The recovery came after officers kept a continuous watch over the 32-year-old man, who allegedly swallowed the rare $19,000 piece during a theft at Partridge Jewelers in downtown Auckland on Nov. 28, according to The Associated Press.
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The man was arrested inside the store before he could leave, and police soon determined he had swallowed the egg, prompting what became a round-the-clock monitoring effort as authorities waited for the item to reappear naturally, without medical intervention.
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“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 earlier this week, The Associated Press reported.
The limited-edition piece is modeled after the Fabergé egg featured in the 1983 James Bond film “Octopussy,” and only 50 were produced.
Crafted from 18-karat gold, painted with green enamel and set with 183 diamonds and two sapphires, the roughly 3.3-inch locket opens to reveal an intricate “18ct yellow gold octopus nestled inside, adorned with white diamond suckers and black diamond eyes,” according to the store’s description.
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The man, who has not been publicly named, appeared in court on Nov. 29 but did not enter a plea to the theft charge.
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He has remained in custody since, with officers stationed beside him throughout the wait for the pendant’s return.
He is scheduled to appear again in Auckland District Court on Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
