A 32-year-old man in Auckland, New Zealand, has been charged with theft after allegedly stealing a jewel-encrusted Fabergé egg locket by picking it up and swallowing it.

Police arrested him inside the store minutes after the incident on Friday afternoon; he remains in custody ahead of a court appearance on December 8.

The stolen item, a Fabergé James Bond Octopussy Egg locket, is valued at NZ$33,585 ($19,300) and is made of 18-karat gold, enamel, diamonds, and sapphires, with a hidden miniature gold octopus inside.

The locket has not yet been recovered, and the suspect is under constant police monitoring following a medical assessment, CNN has reported.

Fabergé, a historic Russian jewelry house, recently saw one of its Imperial Eggs sell for $30.2 million, highlighting the rarity and value of its creations.