A 2,500-year-old golden helmet and two other ancient Romanian treasures stolen from a museum in the Netherlands have been recovered with the help of information from the suspected thieves, Dutch prosecutors said on Thursday.
The artifacts, including the Helmet of Cotofenesti and three gold bracelets, were stolen in January 2025 from the Drents Museum in the northern Dutch city of Assen, where they had been on loan.
While the helmet, a Geto-Dacian artifact and one of Romania's most important archaeological objects, dates to the second half of the 5th century BCE, the bracelets date back to 50 BCE.
All four artifacts have been featured in UNESCO's Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects "to raise awareness about the illicit trafficking of cultural property" since September 2025, UNESCO wrote in a Thursday post to X/Twitter.
"With its return to the people of Romania, the Virtual Museum is losing its first objects and hoping more will follow soon," the post continued. "The search for the third bracelet is still ongoing."
INTERPOL shared a similar sentiment on X, noting that "the priceless piece has been listed in INTERPOL’s Stolen Works of Art Database since the day of its theft in 2025."
"This case highlights the importance of timely reporting and international cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage," INTERPOL concluded.
Part of Romanian national identity
Romania's Foreign Minister Oana Toiu described the artifacts as being of "inestimable value" for Romanian identity and universal heritage, and said it had been essential to Romania that they were found.
"The Golden Helmet of Cotofenesti and the Dacian bracelets, treasures from Romania’s heritage, dating back 2,500 years, are returning home," Toiu wrote on X, adding that she had spoken with Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen about the "joy of this extraordinary news after more than a year of searches and the combined efforts of our countries."
"It is so important not to give up when something is so valuable to multiple generations."
She further explained that while the search for the third bracelet continues, the next steps for the recovered artifacts will include "assessing their state of preservation, and establishing the timetable for their return to the Romanian state, with a view to reintegrating them into the heritage of the National Museum of Romanian History."
Lead Prosecutor Corien Fahner told reporters that the prosecutors were thrilled to have recovered the treasures, noting that the months of uncertainty about their whereabouts had been a "rollercoaster."
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten praised the police for their determination, and said the theft had been "a massive blow" to Romania.
Security footage shared by Dutch police last year showed three men gaining access to the museum at night, as they used explosives and a crowbar to force a large door.
Three suspects were arrested within days and have been in custody since. They gave the information that led the missing artifacts to be found as part of a deal in relation to their trial, the prosecutor said, without giving more details.
The Dutch government last year paid 5.7 million euros to compensate Romania for the theft.