Faberg? Egg-Shaped Jeweled Pendant
Apprehended Immediately After the Crime and Placed Under Police Surveillance
New Zealand police recovered a pendant worth approximately 30 million won after waiting six days for a thief to pass it.
According to AFP and BBC on the 5th, a 32-year-old man swallowed a green Faberge egg pendant adorned with diamonds at a jewelry store in Auckland, New Zealand late last week, then attempted to flee but was apprehended within minutes. The pendant is valued at 20,000 dollars (about 30 million won).
Police stated, "The jewelry has been recovered and is currently in our possession." During this time, officers closely monitored the suspect, waiting for the pendant to be expelled from his body naturally.
The Faberge egg is a jeweled egg originally crafted by the Russian emperor as an Easter gift for the empress, typically containing a surprise inside. The name Faberge comes from the workshop that made these pieces, the House of Faberge.
The pendant stolen and recovered in this case differs from the large, ornate traditional Faberge eggs in that it is a scaled-down version designed to be worn around the neck. Inspired by the 1983 film "Octopussy," it is also known as the "Octopussy egg." The pendant is decorated with 60 white diamonds and 15 blue sapphires, and when opened, reveals a small golden octopus made from 18-carat gold.
New Zealand police authorities reported that the theft suspect underwent a medical examination earlier this week and remains under ongoing observation.
Meanwhile, a similar incident occurred in the United States this past March. At that time, Florida police waited two weeks for a thief who had swallowed jewelry worth 1.1 billion won to pass the items, eventually recovering them. On February 26, this thief visited the VIP room of Tiffany & Co. in Orlando, Florida, requested to see "luxurious jewelry," and then stole two pairs of earrings and a ring before fleeing.
Responding officers witnessed the suspect swallowing the stolen earrings while tracking him down. It was reported that the thief dropped a diamond ring worth 860 million won during the escape. The suspect was apprehended on the day of the incident and taken to a local hospital under police supervision. Two weeks after the crime, on March 12, police were able to recover both pairs of stolen earrings.
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