Thieves used explosives to interrupt right into a museum within the Netherlands and steal a number of Romanian prehistoric artefacts, together with a 2,500-year-old gold helmet.
They blasted open a door on the Drents Museum within the northeastern metropolis of Assen and made off with the stable gold Geto-Dacian artefacts early on Saturday morning.
The stolen objects embrace the golden helmet of Cotofanesti, which dates from round 450 BCE, and three Dacian royal bracelets dated to 50 BCE. They had been a part of an exhibition in regards to the Dacian empire, which was located in present-day Romania.
The gadgets had been on mortgage to the museum and belong to the Nationwide Historical past Museum within the Romanian capital Bucharest.
Picture:
One of many solid-gold Dacian bracelets that was stolen. Pic: Rex
“This is a dark day for the Drents Museum in Assen and the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest,” Drents Museum basic director Harry Tupan mentioned.
“In its 170-year existence, there has never been such a major incident.”
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis mentioned Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof had assured him the authorities had been taking “all necessary measures to identify the suspects and recover the artefacts”.
The stolen Dacian bracelets had been amongst round a dozen recovered by authorities after they had been initially looted from the ruins of Dacian fortresses in Romania and offered off on the black market within the Nineties.
Nobody was injured within the explosion on the museum, which broken the constructing, and no arrests have been made.
Police imagine a number of folks dedicated the theft they usually have determined to contain Interpol of their investigation.
Officers discovered a burning automotive close to Assen and advised the suspects switched to a different car.
They’ve appealed for anybody with data on the suspects or the stolen artefacts to come back ahead.
