Treasures stolen from Drents Museum still missing; Police release photos of suspects
The police have taken a remarkable step in the investigation into the theft of valuable Romanian cultural artifacts from the Drents Museum. They’ve published the full names and unblurred photos of two of the three suspects who have already been arrested. The police hope that doing so will help them track down the stolen treasures - a gold helmet and three gold bracelets - which are still missing.
The publishing of a suspect’s name and photo typically only happens when the police are still looking for the suspect, and then also only if they are suspected of a serious crime or could be dangerous to those around them.
According to the police, recovering the treasures stolen from the museum in Assen is their top priority. “We are really choosing this because we are looking for the stolen masterpieces. That is the most important thing,” a police spokesperson told NOS. “Of course, we are weighing it up carefully, but the focus is on the masterpieces,” the spokesperson added when the broadcaster asked about the suspect’s privacy. “Showing the photos is necessary for the investigation to recover the art treasures.”
The stolen artifacts were on loan from the National Historical Museum in Bucharest. Their theft led to outrage in Romania. The director of the Romanian museum has been fired, and Romanian Ministers have broached the topic with the Dutch Cabinet on multiple occasions.
On Wednesday, the police arrested three suspects in Heerhugowaard in connection with the theft. They were tracked down based on a bag of clothing found in Assen. It is unclear why the police did not release the name and photo of the third suspect, a woman from Heerhugowaard.
