Police in New Zealand are waiting for nature to take its course after a man allegedly tried to smuggle a $19,000 pendant out of a jewelry store by swallowing it.

The 32-year-old man, who has not been publicly named, is accused of eating an ornate Fabergé octopus pendant at Partridge Jewelers in Auckland on Nov. 28. Advertisement

Evidence of the alleged theft has yet to emerge, police said Wednesday.

"At the time of his arrest he underwent a medical assessment, and an officer is assigned to constantly monitor the man," Inspector Grae Anderson said in a statement. "At this stage the pendant has not been recovered."

The man was arrested inside the store minutes after the alleged theft. He appeared in the Auckland District Court on Nov. 29, where he did not enter a plea on a charge of the

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