Thieves used explosives to steal four priceless Romanian gold artefacts in a dramatic overnight heist at the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands.
The burglars blasted their way into the museum in the early hours of Saturday morning, making off with the 2,500-year-old helmet of Cotofenesti and three ancient Dacian royal bracelets.
The stolen items, which were on loan from the National History Museum in Bucharest, were part of an exhibition showcasing Romanian jewellery made from gold and silver.
"This is a dark day for the Drents Museum in Assen and the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest," said museum director Harry Tupan, describing the incident as the most significant in the institution's 170-year history.
The stolen Helmet of Cotofenesti, dating from around 450 BC, is considered a national treasure of Romania
National History Museum of Romania
Police were called to the scene at 03:45 local time on Saturday following reports of an explosion at the museum - after which officers immediately launched a forensic investigation and began reviewing CCTV footage of the incident.
Museum staff were left "intensely shocked" by the burglary, according to director Harry Tupan.
The break-in caused significant damage to the museum building although no one was injured in the explosion.
The Romanian Ministry of Culture has pledged to take all possible steps to recover the stolen artefacts, which are some of the most important pieces of the country's cultural heritage.
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The stolen Helmet of Cotofenesti, dating from around 450 BC, is considered a national treasure of Romania, while the three Dacian royal bracelets, crafted around 50 BC, were part of a larger collection that had previously been looted and sold abroad in the 1990s.
Romanian authorities had spent years working to recover similar artefacts from collectors across Europe and America.
The stolen bracelets were among approximately a dozen items that had been successfully recovered after being initially looted from Dacian fortresses in Romania.
All four items were described by the museum as "archaeological masterpieces" and had been featured as part of a special exhibition about the Dacian empire, which was located in what is now modern-day Romania.
Dutch police believe multiple suspects were involved in the heist and have called in Interpol to assist with the investigation
Drents Museum
Dutch police believe multiple suspects were involved in the heist and have called in Interpol to assist with the investigation.
Officers discovered a burning vehicle on a nearby road shortly after the theft.
"A possible scenario is that the suspects switched to another vehicle in the vicinity of the fire," Dutch police said in a statement.
Romania's President Klaus Iohannis said Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof had assured him authorities were taking "all necessary measures to identify the suspects and recover the artefacts".
Police have appealed for anyone with information about the suspects or stolen items to come forward.
