A large-scale investigation into the high-profile theft from the Drents Museum in Assen, during which priceless Romanian cultural artefacts were stolen on the night of 24-25 January – a golden helmet from Cotofenesti and three Dacian bracelets from Sarmisegetusa – is underway in the Netherlands, Hotnews reports.
According to RTV Drenthe, the chief prosecutor of the northern region of the Netherlands, Diederik Grave, said that law enforcement officers have every reason to believe that the treasure can be returned:
“We expect to find the helmet. We have enough information to work with, the suspects are still in custody and are giving evidence. We are working hard on this,” he stressed.
A special team of several dozen people is involved in the search. According to the prosecutor, the situation is under control: “We really expect to find out exactly where the helmet is.”
Three men (aged 26, 34 and 36) have been arrested and are suspected of committing the crime. The fourth suspect, a 40-year-old woman, was released but remains a person of interest in the case. The first public hearing is scheduled for 9 May.
According to De Telegraaf, the evidence against the two suspects was found in a trash bin with their DNA, which matched the data in the national database – the suspects already had criminal records.
A well-known Dutch politician, Alexander Pechtold, a member of the museum’s Supervisory Board, expressed hope that the artefacts would be returned:
“We are still receiving clues. There is a chance that the treasure will be returned,” he said on Goedemorgen Nederland.
