Once, thieves emulated a scene from Ocean’s 11 as they conducted a daring heist to steal a 2,500-year-old golden helmet and three invaluable bracelets, managing to disappear without a trace.
Astonishing video footage captures the criminals forcefully breaking through the doors of the Drents Museum in Assen, a charming Dutch city mostly recognized for its love of motorsports rather than notorious art theft.
At 3.45am on Saturday, the tranquil streets turned chaotic as an explosion tore through the museum’s entrance.
Within minutes, the thieves had snatched the golden Helmet of Cotofenesti – an intricately decorated artefact dating back to 450 B.C.
They also took three spiral Dacian bracelets linked to ancient Romanian royalty.
Expressing his dismay, the museum’s director, Harry Tupan, conveyed, “This incident marks a somber day for both the Drents Museum in Assen and the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest. We are profoundly shaken.”
He added the institution had never seen “such a major incident” in its 170-year history.
The helmet, a national treasure of Romania, was discovered in 1927 by a child in the small Romanian village of Cotofenesti.
It had once been used as a toy and even a water bowl for chickens before its historical value was realised.
Its front is adorned with engraved mythological creatures, a male figure appearing to sacrifice a ram, and two large ayes above the brow line.
The bracelets, thought to date back to 50 B.C., were just as significant as they were recovered from the black market after being looted from Dacian fortresses in the 1990s.
The heist unfolded like a scene from Ocean’s 11.
After the explosion, the gang disappeared with the gold relics, leaving the museum damaged but no one injured.
About 30 minutes later, police were alerted to a burning car nearby—a possible getaway vehicle set alight to cover their tracks.
“A possible scenario is that the suspects switched to another vehicle in the vicinity of the fire,” Dutch police said in a statement.
Authorities suspect several individuals were involved in the meticulously planned operation.
They’ve launched a forensic investigation, reviewed CCTV footage, and enlisted Interpol to track down the artefacts.
“This is something you don’t want as a museum, but also as a city and province,” said Marco Out, the mayor of Assen.
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof assured him that every effort is being made to recover the stolen treasures.
It comes after a “blowtorch-wielding” jewel thief stuffed millions of pounds worth of bling into a rucksack during a brazen heist.
The £10million robbery was recorded on CCTV showing a bold burglar grabbing handfuls of bangles, necklaces and rings – quickly shoving them into his bag.
Inside the London mansion, the masked robber was snapped creeping around the property before he went for the jewels, nearly bumping into the maid as he wandered through the corridor.
Footage shows him with a flat cap, black gloves and a dark jumper as he carefully scoops up multiple strings of beads and jewels.
He methodically stuffs the bling into a black bag was caught on camera at the St John’s Wood house property on Avenue Road.
The owner of the stolen goods is hyper-rich Hong Kong influencer Shafira Huang, 35, known for being a cultural ambassador of Bond Street’s swanky Halcyon Gallery.
She has offered rewards totalling £1.5million for anyone that can catch the thief who made off with her items and return her belongings.
After the £38.5 million house was looted, the family immediately contacted the Metropolitan Police in a state of “big shock.”
Cops believe he is a white man in his late 20s to 30s and the family think it was a pre-meditated, professional, job.
