The recovered golden helmet of Coțofenești and two gold bracelets that were stolen from the Drents Museum are being shown to the press in the presence of a heavily armed officer in Assen, the Netherlands, on Thursday. Photo by Sam van der Wal/EPA
April 2 (UPI) — An ancient golden helmet and two bracelets from modern-day Romania have been recovered one year after they were stolen from a Dutch museum, law enforcement announced Thursday.
Armed thieves stole the Coțofenești helmet and two bracelets in early 2025 from the Drents Museum in Assen. The items date from about 450 B.C., part of the Iron Age’s Dacian culture.
Dutch public prosecutor Corien Fahner said three people arrested for the theft. The items were transferred back to authorities after negotiations with the suspects and their lawyers.
Law enforcement officials have yet to find a third bracelet that was also stolen, the BBC reported.
“It’s a long-awaited result,” Romanian prosecutor Daniela Buruianā said. “We are happy that we are now witnessing here the recovery of the Romanian artifacts.”
Robert van Langh, the director of the Drents Museum, said he and his colleagues were “deeply moved, happy, relieved and grateful” for the return of the items. He said the helmet had been slightly dented but it was expected to be restored.
“On the golden helmet of Coțofenești, as you can see, two eyes are depicted,” he said.
“They are meant to protect both the wearer and the helmet itself against the evil eye. Against misfortune. They have done so successfully for centuries — and even today, they seem to prove their value.”
Romania’s national history museum had loaned the items to the Drents Museum at the time of their theft. The Dutch government paid about $6.5 million in insurance compensation for the items’ loss.
The BBC reported that the three suspects were expected to face trial later this month.
Children race to push colored eggs across the grass during the annual Easter Egg Roll event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on April 21, 2025. Easter this year takes place on April 5. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo
