Priceless ancient golden helmet stolen in Dutch museum heist recovered a year later

This post was originally published on this site.

A 2,500-year-old priceless cultural icon from Romania that wasstolen in an art museum heistlast year, has been recovered.

The Cotofenesti helmet was found more than a year after it was taken in January 2025 and unveiled this week — under armed guard — at the Drents Museum in Assen in the northeastern part ofthe Netherlands.

The helmet had been on loan to the museum when it was taken.

FORMER FBI INVESTIGATOR SUGGESTS INSIDE JOB IN MASSACHUSETTS MANSION HEIST AS ‘SPECIFIC AND VALUABLE’ ITEMS STOLEN

“We are incredibly pleased,” Corien Fahner, chief prosecutor for the North Netherlands Public Prosecution Service, said during a news conference unveiling the recovered piece.“It has been a roller coaster, especially for Romania, but also for employees of the Drents Museum.”

Three men werearrested last yearsoon after they allegedly broke into the museum using a homemade firework bomb and a sledgehammer and took off with the helmet, sparking fears that its nearly unsaleable fame would prompt them to melt it down.

A police officer standing beside the Cotofenesti helmet at a press conference in Assen Netherlands

A police officer stands beside a 2,500-year-old Cotofenesti helmet from Romania during a news conference Thursday in Assen, Netherlands.The helmet was recovered after being stolen.(Aleksandar Furtula/AP Photo)

Grainy security video released by police after the burglary showed thieves opening the door with a large crowbar and then causing an explosion.

Romanian Justice Minister Radu Marinescu called the incident a “crime against our state,” adding that recovering the treasures “is an absolute priority.”

Two of three gold wristbands stolen during the heist have also been recovered.Fahner said authorities are still searching for the third bracelet.

The Cotofenesti helmet displayed during a press conference in Assen Netherlands

The 2,500-year-old Cotofenesti helmet, a stolen artifact from Romania, was recovered in the Netherlands and shown during a news conference Thursday in Assen, Netherlands.(Aleksandar Furtula/AP Photo)

VIDEO SHOWS MASKED THIEVES RAIDING ART MUSEUM ARTIFACTS IN BOLD OVERNIGHT HEIST: OFFICIALS

The return of the pieces stemmed from a deal made with the men.

The artifacts were on display for the last weekend in the museum as part of a six-month exhibit when they were stolen.

Police officers standing by the 2,500-year-old Cotofenesti helmet during a press conference in Assen Netherlands

Police officers stand by the 2,500-year-old Cotofenesti helmet recovered in the Netherlands.(Aleksandar Furtula/AP Photo)

“The helmet is slightly dented, but there will be no permanent damage,” Drents Museum Director Robert van Langh said during the news conference.“The armbands are in perfect condition.”

Dementia may be signaled by common condition years before symptoms

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP: AI could improve teaching and help deliver a world-class education to our children