Story Highlight
– Stolen Fabergé egg and watch valued at $2.8m.
– Enzo Conticello sentenced to two years, three months.
– Theft occurred outside a pub in Soho, November 2024.
– Police investigation for missing items remains ongoing.
– Conticello arrested in Belfast, used false identity.
Full Story
A unique Fabergé egg and matching watch, valued at approximately £2.08 million ($2.8 million), remain unaccounted for following the conviction of Enzo Conticello, also known as Hakim Boudjenoune, who was sentenced to two years and three months at Southwark Crown Court.
The stolen items were taken from a woman after she reported her handbag was snatched while she conversed with friends outside a Soho pub around 21:50 on 7 November 2024. The handbag housed not only the extravagant Fabergé pieces, which were showcased at a prior event, but also the victim’s computer and purse.
Efforts by the Metropolitan Police to retrieve the stolen items are ongoing. The Fabergé egg measures approximately 10cm in height, adorned in green and gold, while the watch features a rose gold finish with a brown leather strap. Both pieces are part of a limited edition set released by Fabergé; a similar ensemble was auctioned in 2024 along with a rare whiskey, fetching a staggering $2.8 million.
CCTV footage captured Conticello in the act of theft, showing him taking the handbag and attempting to snatch an additional rucksack minutes earlier. The footage also revealed his utilisation of the victim’s stolen bank cards in local stores shortly after the incident.
Following the theft, police investigations aimed to locate Conticello, who evaded arrest at various locations he frequented. The man was placed on a wanted list, and his capture was facilitated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, who apprehended him in Belfast on 9 November 2025 for unrelated theft charges. During his arrest, Conticello presented a false identity and different name.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police travelled to Belfast for Conticello’s apprehension upon his release from Maghaberry Prison on 26 January, and he subsequently appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court the following day.
In connection with the theft, a separate individual was identified via CCTV. A 32-year-old man was arrested on 24 November 2024 on purported theft and for fraudulently using the stolen cards; he later accepted a caution regarding the fraud but faced no further action concerning the theft.
Another suspect, aged 25, was arrested on 20 November 2024 on suspicion of handling stolen property after inquiries about the items’ value were made to the company that commissioned them. Following an assessment of the evidence, it was decided that no further action would be taken against him.
Detective Constable Arben Morina, leading the investigation, commented on the incident: “Conticello thought nothing of helping himself to someone else’s possessions – and he now faces a prison sentence as a result of his greed. This theft has had a significant impact on the victim, who was on her way home from a work event when she was targeted. The defendant has yet to provide any information regarding the whereabouts of the valuable jewellery. Our pursuit of the egg and the watch continues, and we encourage anyone with relevant information to reach out to us.”
