Police On Poop Patrol After Man Swallows $19K Fabergé Egg Pendant

A New Zealand theft case has taken a wild, almost cinematic turn after a man allegedly swallowed a $19,300 Fabergé "James Bond Octopussy" egg pendant in the middle of a jewelry store.

Now in custody, the 32-year-old suspect is being closely watched, literally, as police wait for the extremely valuable evidence to make its natural exit.

With medical checks, round-the-clock monitoring, and a missing luxury pendant in the mix, the saga has become one of the strangest heist stories of the year.

Authorities rushed to Partridge Jewellers in central Auckland on Nov. 28 after reports surfaced that a customer had swallowed an expensive Fabergé Egg pendant inspired by the 1983 James Bond film "Octopussy."

Moments later, officers found and arrested the man inside the store.

Grae Anderson, the city’s central area commander, said in a statement per The Guardian, “The Auckland city beat team responded minutes later, arresting the man inside the store.”

The suspect was immediately evaluated, with Anderson adding per ABC, “At the time of his arrest, he underwent a medical assessment, and an officer is assigned to constantly monitor the man.”

He clarified the biggest issue still at hand, noting, “At this stage, the pendant has not been recovered.”

The swallowed piece isn’t just any jewel. It is a meticulously crafted Fabergé creation featuring 183 white diamonds and two blue sapphires, opening to reveal an 18-carat gold octopus.

Only 50 of these limited-edition designs exist worldwide.

Luxury collectors prize this dazzling pendant, and the jeweler’s own description highlights why the stolen piece is such a standout.

“The hand-crafted Fabergé x 007 Limited Edition Octopussy Egg Objet is limited to just 50 numbered pieces worldwide and stands at 8.4cm tall, crafted from 18ct yellow gold and hand-painted with a rich green enamel, carefully selected for its similarity to the enamel used on the Fabergé egg featured in the film Octopussy,” the listing reads.

The pendant’s James Bond connection and its steep price tag have only added theatrical flair to the already unusual crime.

While the Fabergé Egg remains somewhere inside the suspect, investigators can do little more than wait for nature to return the evidence.

This isn’t the man’s first alleged theft from the same store.

Authorities revealed he was also charged with stealing an iPad from Partridge Jewellers on Nov. 12.

Just a day later, he reportedly took cat litter and flea treatment from a private residence.

With his next court appearance set for Dec. 8, the suspect remains in custody, along with the missing pendant.

For now, officers continue their watch, waiting for the moment when the luxury item finally reappears and can be collected as evidence in what may be the most unusual jewelry heist New Zealand has ever seen.

The astonishing demand for Fabergé treasures showed no signs of slowing as one of the rarest pieces, the famed Winter Egg, fetched over $30 million at a London auction, setting a new record for the jewelry house.

This dazzling crystal egg, created in 1913 for Czar Nicholas II, exemplifies why collectors remain captivated more than a century after the Romanov dynasty collapsed.

The Winter Egg, adorned with platinum snowflakes and thousands of tiny rose diamonds, was crafted by celebrated designer Alma Pihl.

Made for Nicholas II’s mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, it sits on a crystal base resembling melting ice and contains a miniature platinum basket filled with wood anemones.

Initially one of the most expensive imperial eggs commissioned by the Romanov family, it has only grown in historical value over time.

Following the Russian Revolution, the Soviet government began selling off imperial heirlooms, and the Winter Egg eventually surfaced at London’s Wartski Gallery in the late 1920s.

After disappearing from public view in the 1970s, it resurfaced in the 1990s and went on to break auction records in both 1994 and 2002.

Its most recent sale, $30.2 million to an undisclosed buyer, marks its highest price yet.

The Romanov Easter tradition began when Czar Alexander III commissioned the first Fabergé egg, the white-and-gold Hen Egg, for his wife.

Enchanted by its hidden yolk and gold hen, he ordered new creations every Easter.

Nicholas II expanded the custom, gifting one egg to his mother and another to his wife, Alexandra, each year.

These imperial eggs required a full year to craft, with Fabergé keeping the details secret to preserve the surprise.

Notable masterpieces include the Mosaic Egg, embedded with pearls, diamonds, and sapphires, and the Coronation Egg, which houses a miniature coach used by Empress Alexandra.

Today, only 43 imperial eggs are confirmed to exist, with fewer than 10 in private hands.

Major collections are housed in St. Petersburg, London, Richmond, and Cleveland.

The Third Imperial Egg, containing a watch, sold for $33 million in 2014, one of the few sales comparable to the Winter Egg’s latest triumph.