A man allegedly swallowed stolen earrings costing more than half a million dollars just moments before he was taken into custody by Florida police last week. 

The 32-year-old man, Jaythan Gilder, has been accused by the Orlando police of lying to Tiffany & Co employees by telling them he was representing a professional athlete after which the store workers showed him “several high-value pieces”. 

Gilder then allegedly stole the earrings from the employees and ran out of the store, as per BBC. 

When police officers finally caught up with him later that day, they saw the alleged thief “swallowing several objects believed to be the stolen earrings”.  

He allegedly tried to steal two pairs of earrings worth $769,500 (£597,000) as well as a diamond ring but he dropped it during the time he fled the store. 

The police, in a bid to confirm the allegations, released an x-ray that showed an abdomen with a foreign object inside.

Orlando Police was asked by BBC if they had retrieved the jewellery from the abdomen but they didn’t relay the information. 

The police reported that Gilder has stolen from Tiffany & Co from a store in Texas in 2022. There are 48 separate arrest warrants nearby Colorado as well. 

The police have charged Gilder with robbery with a mask and grand theft in the first degree as he allegedly stole good worth more than $100,000. Until proven guilty in court, he is presumed innocent.