3 Are Arrested in Dutch Museum Heist

New York Times

30-01-2025

Three people have been arrested in connection with a brazen heist at a museum in the Netherlands over the weekend in which thieves stole ancient artifacts, including a prized golden helmet on loan from Romania, the authorities said on Wednesday.
The three people were arrested in Heerhugowaard, a city about 30 miles north of Amsterdam and more than 100 miles west of the Drents Museum in Assen, where the theft took place. The police identified two of them as Douglas Chesley Wendersteyt and Bernhard Zeeman, both from Heerhugowaard. The police identified the third person who was arrested as a woman, also from the same city, but did not release her name.
The police said that they had searched homes in Heerhugowaard, but that the stolen pieces had not been found. The authorities said they were also looking for a fourth person in connection with the theft. They released three surveillance images of a man wearing glasses and a dark shirt and ball cap that they said were taken at a hardware store in Assen.
'This is an absolute priority of the police and the public prosecutor,' the police said in a statement.
Early Saturday morning, thieves blew up a heavy access door to get into the Drents Museum. Grainy footage from a surveillance camera showed three hooded figures tugging at the door before an explosion and a flurry of sparks. The authorities said it was part of an elaborate effort to break into the art and history museum and steal some of its treasures.
Among the artifacts that were taken, the authorities said, were three golden bracelets and the helmet of Cotofenesti, an elaborately decorated solid-gold headpiece from the fifth century B.C. The helmet, which weighs a little over two pounds, features large studs across its top and depicts various scenes, including someone sacrificing a lamb.
The helmet, which is well known in Romania and is believed to have been used in ceremonies, dates to the time of the ancient Dacians, who inhabited parts of the Balkan region. It was among several golden artifacts that were being shown as part of a traveling exhibition from the National History Museum of Romania. The items had been on display at the Drents Museum since July 2024.
The authorities declined to attach a monetary figure to the stolen goods. Romanian officials have said their value to Romania's culture was 'incalculable.'
After the heist, Harry Tupan, the director of the Drents Museum, said in a statement that it was a '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,' he said. 'In its 170-year existence, there has never been such a major incident.'
Romania's culture minister said the general director of the National History Museum had been fired after he refused to resign, according to reports in the Romanian media.
The Dutch police said in their statement that their investigation, camera footage and tips submitted by the public had led to the arrests. They also recovered a bag of clothes in Assen, where the heist took place.
The Drents Museum said in a statement on Wednesday that it was 'very pleased with the hopeful news regarding the arrests.'
'The safe return of the stolen artifacts would be a fantastic next step for all involved,' it said. 'Not only for us, but especially for the Romanian people.'