The Cotofenesti golden helmet and two of the three Dacian gold bracelets stolen last year from the Drents Museum in the Netherlands and subsequently recovered have been returned to Romania, the Dutch Prosecution Service announced on Thursday in a press release published on its website.
Stan Rares-Petru and Daniela Buruiana, representatives of the Romanian Prosecutor's Office, took over the artifacts on Thursday afternoon from Corien Fahner, Chief Prosecutor for the North Netherlands Public Prosecution Service. The handover took place in the Old Council Chamber, part of the Drents Museum in the province of Drenthe, in Assen, under heightened security, with guards stationed not only at the entrance but also near the pedestal where the artifacts were displayed.
"We are incredibly pleased with the return of these exceptional art treasures. It has been a rollercoaster ride. Particularly for Romania, but also for staff at the Drents Museum," prosecutor Corien Fahner said at the event, held in the presence of the press. "Of course, we will continue to search for the Dacian bracelet that is still missing," she added.
Also attending was the Romanian head of the Joint Investigation Team from the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, and Romania's national representative to Eurojust.
The nearly 2,500 years old Romanian artifacts were stolen from the Drents Museum during the night of January 24 - 25, 2025. The priceless pieces had been loaned by the National Museum of History of Romania for a temporary exhibition.
The Dutch Prosecution Service held several discussions with the suspects' lawyers, which led to agreements between prosecutors and the defense. A key condition for these plea agreements was the return of the stolen objects. With the recovery of the helmet and two of the bracelets, this requirement has been largely met, the Dutch prosecutor explained.
Following negotiations, the three items were handed over on Wednesday by the perpetrators through intermediaries. According to EFE, the Dutch Prosecution Service declined to provide details about the recovery process or any concessions made to the defendants in exchange for the return of the artifacts. The whereabouts of the third bracelet remain unknown, as does the place where the objects were hidden during the 14 months since the theft.
The helmet shows minor damage and can be fully restored, said museum director Robert van Langh, quoted by EFE. The bracelets, however, are in perfect condition. Van Langh expressed satisfaction that the recovered artifacts are returning to where they belong and thanked both the Dutch and Romanian police forces.
Three men aged between 21 and 36 are in pre-trial detention for the theft, and the court has already been informed of the recovery agreements. Their trial is scheduled to begin on April 14, 2026.
"Based on the criminal investigation, the Prosecution Service has no evidence indicating that anyone other than the three suspects was involved in the Drents Museum heist," Fahner said, as quoted in the statement.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, cited by EFE, praised on Thursday the determined work of the police that made the recovery possible.
From Bucharest, Foreign Minister Oana Toiu announced that Romania and the Netherlands cooperated under the aegis of EUROJUST to resolve the Drents Museum case, forming a Joint Investigation Team composed of prosecutors, judges and police officers from both countries.
The Romanian police representatives also expressed gratitude to the authorities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, particularly to Dutch Interior Minister Pieter Heerma, for the professionalism and transparency with which they handled the investigation into the theft of the Dacian treasures.
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