Hours earlier than the solar rose over the Netherlands, the group crowded across the giant exterior door, showing to pry it open. Seconds later, the grainy safety video appeared to point out a strong explosion, sending plumes of smoke and sparks into the air, and the thieves rush into the museum within the north-eastern metropolis of Assen.
Minutes later they have been gone. However the thriller of what precisely happened throughout their jiffy within the Drents Museum – and what got here afterwards – has left officers within the Netherlands scrambling for solutions, and prompted a row that has stretched to the opposite facet of Europe.
The daring heist happened final Saturday, with police saying they have been notified at 3.45am native time. By then, the thieves had made off with a handful of objects, together with the near-2,500-year-old gold Helmet of Coțofenești – one in all Romania’s most revered nationwide treasures.
Three gold bracelets courting from 50BC have been additionally taken. The objects have been a part of an exhibit, that includes greater than 600 artefacts on mortgage, that had sought to supply guests a glimpse of the glory of the Dacia civilisation, an historical agrarian society that when thrived in what’s in the present day Romania.
The helmet, particularly, had lengthy been celebrated throughout Romania as an emblem of the nation’s wealthy historical past, its picture gracing college historical past textbooks, postage stamps and even a gold coin issued by the nation’s nationwide financial institution.
“The helmet is among the hottest and well-known historical gold objects in Romania,” mentioned Andrea Teunissen-Oprea, the honorary consul for Romania within the Netherlands. “Some individuals listed here are saying that it’s as if the Dutch would get up and uncover that [Rembrandt’s] The Evening Watch was lacking.”
Dramatically studded and adorned with intricate designs that depict a lamb being sacrificed and legendary creatures akin to a griffin, the helmet was believed to have been used throughout ceremonies. “It’s distinctive on the planet,” mentioned Teunissen-Oprea. “As a result of there aren’t any written paperwork from this era, the archaeological discoveries are extremely necessary for Romania.”
Information of the heist had set off an “uproar” throughout Romania, she mentioned, as mourning over the potential lack of the objects gave technique to fury among the many artwork world, politicians and media.
“Even in our most pessimistic goals, we’d not have believed this to be potential,” mentioned the director of Romania’s Nationwide Historical past Museum, Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu, earlier this week. He was sacked from his function amid anger that the objects had been loaned out.
The prime minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, mused about claiming “unprecedented damages” from the Dutch museum. He alleged that it was not sufficiently guarded – a declare the Drents Museum rebuffed – as he sprang into motion, asserting that Romania would ship a staff of consultants together with forensic cops to assist with the investigation, whereas the mortgage of the objects can be investigated domestically.
“It is a very severe state of affairs,” he wrote on social media, “however this theft, which have to be resolved swiftly, should not turn out to be gas for the unfold of every kind of conspiracy theories by those that goal to make straightforward political capital.”
The remark gave the impression to be a reference to Romania’s far-right AUR motion. Emboldened after its robust displaying within the presidential and parliamentary elections in late 2024, the occasion had seized on the theft to name for presidency resignations. The theft was “a direct assault on our nationwide historical past and identification”, it mentioned.
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Within the Netherlands, the theft set off a frantic search. Dozens of detectives and specialist officers combed by way of the scores of ideas that had poured right into a devoted hotline. On Wednesday, after a days-long manhunt, police mentioned they’d arrested three individuals.
“The suspects are held beneath strict circumstances and are being questioned about their function within the heist,” mentioned Dutch police, who additionally launched {a photograph} of one other suspect and famous that they’d not dominated out additional arrests.
The Drents Museum described the arrests as providing a glimmer of hope. “We’re awaiting additional developments with bated breath,” it mentioned in an announcement. “The restoration with out harm can be, for all, a incredible subsequent step. Not just for us, but additionally for the Romanian inhabitants.”
Police mentioned the main target was now on recovering the stolen artefacts. It was in some methods a race towards time, as the worldwide headlines over the heist meant the objects have been possible now too well-known to be bought as they have been, sparking fears the thieves would destroy the priceless objects in an try to promote what may quantity to solely about 1kg of gold.
It might be a comparatively small payoff for such a daring feat, mentioned Teunissen-Oprea. “There’s actually a query of why they did it. Why solely these 4 issues? As a result of there have been 600 different issues there.”
She was among the many many frantically hoping that the items can be discovered intact. “We’re praying that the items are discovered and never melted down,” she mentioned. “It might be an enormous loss not just for Romania, however for your entire cultural heritage of Europe.”
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