Dutch police arrest three suspects in connection with museum heist

Stolen items are pictured from Drents Museum in Assen. (Dutch Police via CNN Newsource)

Dutch police have arrested three people in connection with a museum heist that saw thieves blow open a door with explosives before stealing four priceless ancient artifacts, including an approximately 2,500-year-old gold helmet on loan from Romania.

Officials in the Netherlands published the names and photographs of two of the suspects, Douglas Chesley Wendersteyt and Bernhard Zeeman, on Thursday, less than a week after the heist at Drents Museum in Assen, roughly 80 miles northeast of Amsterdam. The third person, a woman, was not named by police.

All three suspects hail from the city of Heerhugowaard in the Netherlands, police said, more than 70 miles from the museum.

The daring heist occurred during the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Dutch police, who received a report of an explosion at 3:45 a.m. local time. Grainy CCTV footage shows suspects opening an exterior door before a blast sends sparks and smoke into the air.

Among the stolen items, which have not yet been recovered, are three 2,000-year-old gold bracelets and the Helmet of Cotofenesti, a historically important item on loan from the National History Museum of Romania. Dutch police have described finding the artifacts as their “absolute priority,” appealing for information from the public.

Investigators say they tracked down the suspects after discovering a bag containing clothing in Assen. They also searched properties in Heerhugowaard.

Police are appealing for information about a black van, which they say may have been driven by one of the thieves following the heist, as well as various tools used during the break-in — including hammers and a crowbar. Officials have released images of another man, seen at a hardware store in Assen, who is also linked to the heist.

The four stolen items were part of an exhibition about the Dacians, an ancient society that occupied much of present-day Romania before being conquered by the Romans.

Drents Museum describes the Helmet of Cotofenesti — which was uncovered in a Romanian village almost a century ago — as a “masterpiece.” Its design features mythological scenes and a pair of golden eyes that were thought to deter enemies during battle, while protecting against the “evil eye.”

Considered a Romanian national treasure, its theft has sparked consternation among Romanian officials and fears that the gold helmet, which weighs around two pounds, would be melted down.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has hailed the artifacts as having “exceptional cultural and historical importance,” according to the Associated Press, and said their disappearance had “a strong emotional and symbolic impact on society.”

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also said the Romanian government had not authorized the loan and that he will seek damages from the Netherlands if they are not recovered, according to CNN affiliate Antena 3.

Romania’s Culture Minister Natalia-Elena Intotero said she had dismissed the National History Museum’s director, Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu, over his handling of the crisis, Antena 3 reported.

Oberlander-Tarnoveanu had earlier called the heist an incident that “even in our most pessimistic dreams, we would not have believed possible,” according to the AP.

CNN has reached out to Romania’s National History Museum and the Drents Museum.

Drents Museum has remained closed since the heist but is due to reopen to the public Friday. Its premises were damaged by the explosion, though no injuries were reported.

The museum’s general director, Harry Tupan, described the incident as a “dark day” — both for his institution and the National History Museum of Romania.

In a statement Wednesday, Drents Museum welcomed the arrests as “hopeful news.”

“The safe return of the stolen artifacts would be a fantastic next step for all involved. Not only for us, but especially for the Romanian people,” the museum said.

Oscar Holland, CNN