Four 400-year-old Romanian artifacts that were stolen from a Dutch museum in January may still be recoverable, according to a court hearing this week. While the whereabouts of these gold treasures—three Dracian bracelets dating from 50 B.C.E. and the 2,500-year-old Cotofenesti helmet—remain unknown, Dutch prosecutors say that evidence gathered from wiretapped conversations suggests they have not yet been melted down.

On Saturday, January 25, the Romanian artifacts were stolen during a heist at the Drents Museum in the city of Assen. The thieves blasted several windows open with explosives to gain entry. Dutch police were alerted to reports of an explosion at the Drents Museum in the city of Assen at around 3:45 a.m. local time on January 25. The museum building was damaged but nobody was injured.

The Netherlands’s Public Prosecution Service said this week that they have completed their investigation into the theft. Of the three main suspects, two men aged 36 and 35 have been connected to the heist thanks to the discovery of their DNA in a sports bag believed to have been used to transport the artifacts away from the crime scene. This bag also contained micro-gold particles and shards of glass that may have resulted from shattering the museum’s display cases.

The DNA of a third suspect, a 20-year-old man, was found on a crowbar that was left in the museum. He has also been identified as the man caught on camera buying a sledgehammer and a hammer at a hardware store two days before the robbery.

The three suspects have refused to comment, including declining to provide any information that may help authorities recover the golden treasures, which are insured for €5.7 million ($6.6 million). If they aren’t found the Dutch government will have to pay this sum.

The next hearing is scheduled for October 16. The suspects will remain in pretrial detention.

Priceless Treasures

The precious artifacts were taken from the Drents Museum exhibition “Dacia—Empire of Gold and Silver,” which opened in July 2024 and was just about to close to the public at the end of January. It contained more than 50 gold and silver pieces from Romania in the period from the 20th century B.C.E. to the 3rd century C.E. The stolen items were on loan from the Romanian National History Museum in Bucharest.

The golden helmet of Cotofenesti, which was covered in decorations related to Getic mythology and dated to the 5th century B.C.E, is one of the most important works that was stolen in the heist. One of the most prominent features are the stylized eyes on the helmet’s front, influenced by Corinthian or Chalcidian helmets, which were intended to discourage an enemy during battle.

Also included in the theft were Dacian gold spiral bracelets that were unearthed from sacrificial pits; it is understood they were never worn but instead intended as offerings.

Dacian bracelet from Sarmizegetusa Regia, 50 B.C.E. Photo: Ing. Marius Amarie, courtesy the National History Museum of Romania.

CCTV footage of the theft show at least three figures preparing to explode the door on January 25. The police investigation into the incident included forensic examinations of the site, a review of security footage, and an appeal to the public to share any tips or potentially relevant footage from door cameras or dash cams. The police have also enlisted the help of Interpol, an international organization for combatting crime.

Security Concerns

The Drents Museum has come under intense scrutiny for the theft. The treasures were on loan from the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest and were insured for €30 million, according to the museum, which has threatened legal action against the Dutch institution. In January, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu accused the Drents Museum of inadequate security—a claim the museum denied. He promptly announced that Romania would dispatch a team of experts, including forensic police, to assist in the investigation, while also launching a domestic review of the loan agreement, which cost the National History Museum director his job.

“This is a dark day for the Drents Museum in Assen and the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest. We are intensely shocked by the events last night,” said the Drents Muesum’s general director, Harry Tupan, said in January. “It also gives us enormous sadness towards our colleagues in Romania.”  The museum emphasized that all proper security measures were in place at the time of the theft, although a report in the NL Times claimed that while extra security had been put in place for the show’s run, no guard had been in the exhibition hall at the time of the heist.

An announcement of the theft on the museum’s official Instagram has become an outlet for the ire of some Romanian commenters. One user criticized the “casual” tone of the post. “It feels like being robbed of part of your identity and history,” they added. “Shame on you for treating these pieces without the respect and protection they deserved!”

“I have translated the description under this post yet no formal apology has been given,” wrote another user. “As a Romanian citizen, I perceive this as a gross lack of respect and responsibility.”

The Romanian Minister of Culture, Natalia Intotero, announced on January 28 the dismissal of Ernest Oberlander-Târnoveanu, the director of the National Museum of History, after he refused to resign, stating he hadn’t broken any laws or regulations by loaning the objects.

“It is an unpleasant situation for him as well, but I felt he was overwhelmed by this situation, particularly in terms of communication,” Intotero said in a statement. She has also asked all Romanian museum managers to inform the ministry about the security and surveillance systems each institution has in place, as well as any cultural assets that are on loan outside of the country.

Last fall, thieves used explosives to break into another Netherlands-based art gallery in the early hours of November 1, attempting to make off with a set of Andy Warhol prints. The works were hastily cut from their frames and two were left discarded on the street in what the gallery owner deemed an “amateurish” stunt.

The Dutch art historian Arthur Brand spoke to the NL Times about the use of explosives to enter museums. “Against this kind of break-in, no museum can fully protect itself,” he said. “The thieves have realized this method works. The sky is the limit; the gates are wide open. This is deeply concerning on all fronts. Police and government must find answers quickly.”

Margaret Carrigan contributed reporting.

This story was updated on Friday, August 1, at 09:45 a.m. ET.