Three Dutch men have been sentenced to 47 months (three years and 11 months) in prison for their roles in the spectacular armed robbery of priceless ancient Romanian gold artefacts from the Drents Museum in Assen in January 2025.
The court in Assen handed down the sentences today to the three main suspects, aged 21, 35 and 36, from Heerhugowaard.
They were convicted of organising and carrying out the explosive heist of Dacian gold treasures on loan from Romania, including a 2,500-year-old golden helmet and several gold bracelets considered national treasures in Romania.
On the night of January 25, the gang used explosives to blast open the museum entrance, stole several gold artefacts of “inestimable value,” and fled the scene.
The theft caused outrage in Romania and raised serious questions about security standards for internationally loaned cultural heritage in the Netherlands.
One of the most valuable items, the Coțofenești golden helmet, was later recovered in April 2026 as part of a plea deal with the suspects. At least one bracelet remains missing.
The court found the men guilty of burglary with violence and theft of cultural goods.
It was noted that the theft happened “in a sophisticated and professional manner”.
“Given the nature and severity of the offense, only a substantial prison sentence will suffice”, the court said.
The explosion was so powerful that it caused extensive damage to the museum, which endangered nearby residents.
The court noted that the Romanian treasure was insured for €5.7 million, but that the importance and value of it was not to be captured in a monetary value, saying it was literally priceless.
Prosecutors had pushed for longer sentences, but the court took into account that some of the stolen items were returned.
Despite the fact that two men had made plea deals with the prosecutors before the trail and helped with the return of part of the stolen loot in exchange for a reduced sentence, all three men ultimately received the same sentence.
The court ruled that it was unclear how much each had contributed to returning the stolen jewellery, so it imposed equal sentences on all three.
They all got a reduced sentence because most of the treasure was recovered.
One bracelet worth around €500,000 still is missing, which caused the damage to society only being partly restored.
Dutch authorities announced they have recovered the Golden Helmet of Coțofenești, one of Romania’s most revered national treasures, stolen during a January 2025 museum heist at Assen’s Drents Museum in the north west of the Netherlands. https://t.co/tHuvcoGrdy
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 3, 2026
