Man accused of eating rare James Bond-inspired pendant is being monitored 24X7 like a high-risk VIP

In a case that sounds straight out of a heist film, authorities in New Zealand are closely monitoring a 32-year-old man accused of swallowing a limited-edition Fabergé pendant worth more than 33,000 NZ dollars (Rs. 17 lakh or $19,000 approx.) in an attempt to steal it from an upscale jewelry store. The alleged incident took place at Partridge Jewelers in central Auckland on November 28.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the man was arrested inside the store just minutes after the suspected theft. Since then, he has been placed under constant watch. Inspector Grae Anderson stated that officers are waiting for the pendant to naturally reappear. As of Wednesday, he confirmed that “the pendant has not been recovered” and that the accused underwent a medical examination immediately after being taken into custody.

A jewel straight from James Bond lore

The piece at the center of the controversy is a Fabergé Octopussy pendant, designed in tribute to the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy, which features a jewel-smuggling storyline involving a counterfeit Fabergé egg. Only 50 such pendants exist worldwide.


As described on the jewelry store’s website, the pendant is crafted from gold, covered in green enamel and adorned with 183 diamonds and two sapphires. Inside the egg is a yellow-gold octopus decorated with white diamond suckers and black diamond eyes. Police documents cited by 1News value the piece at 33,585 NZ dollars.

Court appearance and continuous monitoring

The accused appeared at the Auckland District Court on November 29 and did not enter a plea to the theft charge. AP reports that he is scheduled to appear in court again on December 8. Until then, officers remain assigned to monitor him around the clock to ensure the pendant is not lost or damaged internally.

Jewelry thefts are not uncommon, but swallowing a rare Bond-inspired masterpiece has raised eyebrows and sparked global curiosity. For now, neither investigators nor doctors can predict how long retrieval will take.

As AP wryly noted, only time and digestion will reveal whether “another octopus surprise” is on the way. Police will be watching closely. Literally.