Robbers used explosives to force open a door at a Dutch museum early Saturday morning, stealing several gold masterpieces, museum officials said in a statement.
The police received a report at 3:45 am local time on Saturday about an explosion in the Drents Museum in Assen. Upon arrival, officers found the museum damaged and the gold masterpieces missing.
A gold Coțofenești helmet on loan from the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest and three Dacian royal bracelets were stolen by the thieves. The artefacts were on display in the exhibition ‘Dacia – Empire of Gold and Silver’, the museum said.
“This is a dark day for the Drents Museum in Assen and the National Historical Museum of Romania in Bucharest. We are deeply shocked by the events last night at the museum. In its 170 years of existence, such a major incident has never occurred,” said Harry Tupan, general director of the Drents Museum.
Dutch police
The museum said it would be closed this weekend while police conducted an investigation.
No injuries have been reported and no arrests have been made so far. Authorities suspect that several people were involved, Dutch police said in a statement.
Police said they received a report of a car fire around 4:15 a.m., but no one was in the burning vehicle. Authorities suspect the car may be connected to the explosion and burglary at the museum. According to police, the suspects switched to another vehicle near the fire.
Between 3 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., the police asked for help from residents of the museum who may have images from a doorbell camera or dashcam, and asked people who may have seen something unusual in the Drenthe museum in recent days to contact the police.
This is a development story. Check back later for updates.