Drents Museum heist: Men sentenced to 47 months in prison for theft of Dacian treasures
The court in Assen sentenced three men from Heerhugowaard to 3 years and 11 months in prison for their role in the Drents Museum heist. The court considered it proven that the trio, Douglas W., Bernhard, Z., and Jan B., jointly prepared and executed the theft of Dacian treasures from the museum in Assen in a “sophisticated and professional manner.”
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) had recommended 5.5 years in prison against Bernhard Z., and 3.5 years in prison against Douglas W. and Jan B., who had struck a deal with the judiciary for returning some of the stolen treasures.
The court stated that the OM violated rules during the investigation. The authorities spread the suspects' names, photos, and places of residence even after their arrest, thereby infringing heavily on their privacy. The suspects were also subjected to unacceptably high pressure during interrogations. This resulted in lower sentences, ANP reported.
According to the OM, on January 25, 2025, the three suspects used a powerful firework bomb to blow open the door of the Drents Museum in Assen and force their way inside. They stole the golden helmet of Cotofenesti and three gold bracelets, which were on loan to the Drents Museum from Romania for an exhibition.
Several suspects were arrested not long after the heist, but the treasures remained missing for over 14 months. The Dutch authorities pulled out all the stops to find the stolen artifacts, including using undercover agents against one of the suspects and offering a reward of €250,000 for information that leads to their whereabouts.
In early April, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) announced that authorities had recovered the helmet and two of the three bracelets after reaching a deal with two of the suspects. Douglas W. and Jan B. had agreed to return the treasures in their possession in exchange for a one-third reduction in their sentences. The whereabouts of the third bracelet remains unclear.
During the trial, Douglas W. and Jan B.’s lawyers argued for leniency for their clients. Bernard Z.’s lawyer argued for an acquittal, saying the case against his client is much less conclusive than prosecutors claim. According to the lawyer, Z. organized license plates for the getaway car, but there is no evidence to prove that he was one of the three men who broke into the museum and stole the treasures.
