Assen/Bucharest — There are new details about the theft of the golden helmet of Coțofenești and the Dacian bracelets. Sources close to the investigation have confirmed that the casings in which the invaluable artefacts were displayed in the Drents Museum were not secured properly.
At the Drents Museum in Assen, there were internal concerns about the strength of the display cases containing the Coțofenești gold helmet and gold bracelets, which were stolen on January 25th. These display cases were also missing an additional frame, making them particularly vulnerable.
This is evident from the Drents Museum’s April 3rd report. In the report, the police questioned the museum’s business director and its head of security and safety. Three display cases were shattered after multiple blows with sledgehammers. In particular, the large, tall display case housing the most expensive object in the “Dacia, Empire of Gold and Silver” exhibition, the golden helmet of Coțofenești, collapsed after just two hammer blows. The entire front glass pane crashed to the floor. This is described in detail in documents from the criminal file.
Another display case containing the golden bracelets also collapsed after a few blows. But the third, reinforced display case, which was struck seven times by a robber, remained intact. The glass case contained the second golden helmet in the exhibition.
When the detectives asked museum staff how strong the display cases were, the security chief replied, “They weren’t strong enough, and that was a concern beforehand.” The detectives then asked, “How do you think the thieves got through the display case with the gold helmet and the armbands, but not the display case next to the gold helmet?” The security chief replied, “The display cases with the gold helmet and the armbands didn’t have a rebate, making them easier to break through. The display case next to the gold helmet did have one, making it much more robust.”
The Drents Museum responded by stating that it “always uses these display cases.” They are regularly used throughout the Netherlands. Additional measures have also been taken in consultation with and at the request of the insurer. When asked why, despite the concerns, nothing had been done about the fragile display cases, the museum replied: “No further comment.”
In the report, police also inquired about additional security measures the museum implemented for the exhibition, which features hundreds of gold and silver treasures. The head of security explained that, among other things, three fog generators were installed.
CCTV footage showed that the robbers were barely bothered by the fog generators that went off when they entered the display case room. One of the men dropped his helmet and then retrieved it. Had the 8 been working properly, the robbers wouldn’t even have been able to locate the display cases.
This revelation confirms what Dagblad van het Noorden already reported in March. Security at the Dacia exhibition at the Drents Museum reportedly failed to function properly during the theft of Coțofenești’s golden helmet and the three golden bracelets, based on a review of photos and CCTV footage and an at-length interview with the former director of the National History Museum in Bucharest, Dr. Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu. This was at the time reported by Euronews Romania.
The three suspects in custody remain silent about their possible involvement. This became clear at the start of the preliminary hearing in the Assen court last week. A final indictment has been issued against the suspects. It is expected that in the spring of 2026 Dutch courts will start proceedings about the content of the investigation.
