Suspects in artifact robbery in Assen remanded to jail in first hearing

The three suspects who were arrested in connection with art theft from the Drents museum in Assen will remain in pre-trial detention for two more weeks. This was decided by the examining magistrate on Friday, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) reported. The two men and woman, all from Heerhugowaard, are suspected of involvement with the break-in at the museum and the theft of the four Romanian artifacts on Saturday.

The suspects were arrested with the aid of the public. "Clothing and a bag were shown. They were found in the vicinity of the museum. This has provided an important breakthrough in the investigation, together with many other research results," the OM said in an explanation.

The OM said that they are going to use all their effort to cooperate with the police "to gain insight into the artifacts,” which have not yet been found. Any information from the public can be valuable to that.

The unusual step to publish photos and the names of the suspects who were already arrested in connection with the art theft in Assen was mainly down to “the characteristics of this theft,” said Van Weel. He added that this case has international pressure, but also time pressure because the artifacts could be “on their way to a foreign country or somewhere else, or could be destroyed. Therefore, every second counts.”

He added that the police notified the suspects that their photos were being published. “The suspects were also given the choice to say where the artefacts are. Otherwise, these images would be released. So, we made this choice,” the minister said prior to the weekly council of ministers meeting.

These are “unique” artefacts, said Van Weel. He discussed the matter with the Romanian ministers of Interior Affairs and Justice during a European meeting this week. “This is a significant blow there.” The Romanians are pleased that the police were able to arrest suspects so quickly and have also not pushed for any extra actions to be taken in the Netherlands, the minister said.

The use of investigative reporting in criminal investigations falls under the responsibility of the Public Prosecution Service (OM) and is usually done to determine the identity of a suspect. But it can also be used in regards to suspects who have already been arrested and whose identity is already known, the OM said.

"There must be a strong suspicion of a criminal offense for which a maximum sentence of at least eight years imprisonment is imposed," according to the Justice Department. "There must be permission from the chief public prosecutor, and it must be urgently necessary for the investigation. These conditions have been met in this case."

The OM said that the release of the names and photos of an arrested suspect is a “drastic measure,” which is rarely used. In the case of the art theft the justice institution felt it was “urgently needed,” because the stolen art pieces have not been found yet. “This is still our highest priority.”

Many tips have come in after the photos were released. The police would not say how useful the tips that came in were. “The tips are being carefully looked through by the team,” said a spokesperson.