Robbers used explosives to force open a door at a Dutch museum early Saturday morning, stealing several gold masterpieces, museum officials said in a statement.
Police received a report at 3:45 a.m. local time Saturday about an explosion at the Drents Museum in Assen. Upon arrival, officers found the museum damaged and the gold masterpieces gone.
A gold Coțofenești helmet on loan from the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest and three Dacian royal bracelets were stolen by the thieves. The artifacts were on display in an exhibit, “Dacia – Empire of Gold and Silver,” the museum said.
“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 at the museum. In its 170-year existence, there has never been such a major incident,” said Harry Tupan, general director of the Drents Museum.
A gold Coțofenești helmet from around 450 BC was stolen from a Dutch museum, officials said. / Credit: Dutch Police
The museum said it would be closed over the weekend while the police conducted an investigation.
No injuries were reported, and no arrests have been made so far. Authorities suspect that multiple individuals were involved, Dutch police said in a statement.
Police said they received a report of a car fire around 4:15 a.m., but no one was inside the burning vehicle. Authorities suspect that the car may be linked to the explosion and burglary at the museum. Suspects switched to another vehicle in the vicinity of the fire, police said.
Police asked for help from residents near the museum that might have footage from a doorbell camera or dashcam between 3:00 and 4:30 a.m., and asked for people who might have seen anything unusual at the Drents museum in recent days to contact the police.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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