Two men, aged 35 and 36, from the Dutch town of Heerhugowaard will remain in pre-trial detention for an additional ninety days. The North Netherlands District Court decided this on Friday during a public hearing in the city of Assen. The court believes there is sufficient reason for this decision, given the role of the suspects in the art heist at the Drents Museum on January 25, 2025.
Together with a 20-year-old from the same town, these two men were in the museum that night, according to the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service (PPS). They detonated a very powerful firework bomb, which gave them access to the museum. From there, they stole highly valuable Dacian art treasures, including three golden bracelets and the famous Helmet of Cotofenesti. The prosecutors stated: “The investigation is still ongoing, but we can already say that the explosive far exceeded the power of a Cobra 6 or 8.”
The PPS believes the art treasures have not been melted down and that the main suspects, particularly the 36-year-old, still have control over them. There is currently no information about whether there was an external client behind the theft.
The PPS is convinced that these three men were in the museum and committed the heist. According to prosecutors, there is an abundance of evidence based on an extensive and detailed police investigation. Following a tip from a resident of Assen, clothing with DNA traces of several main suspects was found in a garbage container on Pelikaanstraat in Assen. Glass particles were also found in the clothing, which are with high probability from the blown-up glass door and two display cases in the Drents Museum. There is also evidence that the 35-year-old suspect purchased the sports bag used in the theft.
The police also discovered that the suspects had rented a holiday cabin in a park near Borger. A glass trace was found in the cabin, which the OM links to the museum’s glass door. Additionally, police observed that one or more suspects visited the exhibition’s website multiple times and viewed an online map of the museum.
The sledgehammer and mallet used in the break-in were also recovered—one in the museum, the other in a nearby canal. These tools were bought shortly before the heist by the 20-year-old suspect at a hardware store in Assen. He was arrested later than the other two main suspects due to an undercover operation.
To undercover agents, the man confessed that he carried out the heist with the two older suspects. He said the oldest planned and organized everything and that after the theft, this man left with the stolen treasures to stash them. According to this suspect, the intention was to sell the treasures at a later date.
The suspects are exercising their right to remain silent, even though, according to the PPS, there is much to explain. That is their legal right, but the burden now lies with them. The PPS emphasized that the refusal to provide information about the stolen goods works against them. Additionally, if the treasures are not recovered, the suspects will be held liable for their insured value. The prosecutors were clear: “Given the scale of the claim, this could mean they will be heavily in debt for the rest of their lives.”
The investigation is still ongoing, with dozens of police officers working on the case. The next public hearing for the three main suspects will take place on July 30, 2025. That session will also address the case of the 20-year-old suspect publicly for the first time. The examining magistrate also ruled this week that he must remain in custody for another ninety days.
In addition to the three main suspects, four other individuals have been designated as suspects in the case. They allegedly played supporting roles in the art heist. They are allowed to await the remainder of the legal proceedings in freedom.
The aim is to conduct the substantive hearing of the case in the second quarter of 2026. That will be the moment for the PPS to justify the use of special investigative methods, such as the urgent safety interrogation and the publication of photos and names of two suspects while they were already in custody. A press release was issued shortly after this decision.
According to the PPS, all safeguards were observed in the use of these special methods. “Furthermore, that use cannot be separated from the impact of the crime,” the prosecutors stated. “We also take into account the importance of retrieving the art treasures intact, the findings of the investigation into the roles of the three main suspects, and their persistent silence.”
Main Image: Coțofenești helmet from 450 BCE had an estimated value of €4.3 million
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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