Thieves broke into a museum in the Netherlands to steal ancient artefacts, including a 2,500-year-old gold helmet.
According to CNN, the Dutch police said that in a daring heist at the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands, on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at 3:45 a.m. local time, thieves using explosives broke into the museum.
The CCTV footage released by the police showed the suspect entering the museum after blowing up the door with a blast that sent sparks and smoke into the air.
Thieves stole valuable items from the museum, including three gold bracelets, dating from around 50 BC, and a 5th-century BC historically important artefact, the Helmet of Cotofenesti, which was on loan from the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest.
In a press statement, Drents Museum’s general director Harry Tupan described the robbery as a “dark incident.”
He said, “We are intensely shocked by the events last night at the museum. In its 170-year existence, there has never been such a major incident. It also gives us enormous sadness towards our colleagues in Romania.”
Moreover, the artefacts were part of the exhibition about the Dacians, which was set to conclude on Sunday, January 26, 2025.
The exhibition called "Dacia: Empire of Gold and Silver" has been on show since July 2024, featuring treasures borrowed from institutions across Romania. Drents Museum described the now-stolen Helmet of Cotofenesti as a “masterpiece.” The helmet has a design of features, mythological scenes, and a pair of eyes, which were believed to scare away enemies during war while protecting against the “evil eye.”
