Just five days before the famous Coif from Coţofeneşti and the Dacian bracelets were stolen from the Drents Museum, a Romanian is suspected of having sneaked into the institution.
The man, identified as Andrei B., 38 years old, is suspected to have ties to a network that steals artworks on order, as shown in the criminal file consulted by RTL Nieuws.
Andrei B. is suspected of conducting a "preliminary investigation" before the robbery on January 25. However, the investigation against him yielded no results, and the man is not in custody and is not among the three defendants who will appear in court in Assen on Thursday.
Mysterious visit to the museum
According to judicial documents, Andrei B. entered the museum without a ticket on January 20, carrying a large sports bag. He headed directly to the wing where the collection "Dacia, the Silver and Gold Empire" was exhibited, looked at several exhibits, and was later escorted out by guards.
After the robbery, surveillance images were broadcast in the press, and a receptionist from a hotel in Assen recognized him.
Absurd explanations in front of the police
Questioned by the Dutch police on January 28, initially as a witness, the Romanian claimed that he "did not know he had entered a museum" and thought he was in a Dacia car dealership. The police later discovered connections between Andrei B. and a restaurant owner in southern Germany, considered the coordinator of a network of thieves operating on a commission basis.
An investigation by RTL Nieuws shows that Andrei B. had been in Assen last year when he was caught stealing a hair clipper from a local store and was sentenced to four weeks in prison. Despite these precedents, he was released after the January hearing.
The Dutch prosecutor's office and representatives of the Drents Museum declined to comment on Andrei B.'s case or how he managed to enter without a ticket. "We do not comment on security matters," said an institution spokesperson.
The thieves' trial and the multimillion-dollar loot
Thursday marks the first preliminary hearing for the three main suspects - Bernhard Z. (35), Douglas W. (36), and Jan B. (21). The prosecution claims they used explosives to force entry into the exhibition wing and smashed the display cases with a crowbar. They stole three Dacian gold bracelets and the famous Coif from Coţofeneşti, insured for nearly 6 million euros.
The Dutch investigation included undercover operations, but without success. According to a witness, the loot was hidden by one of the suspects but has not yet been recovered. The police suspect that the piece was stolen at the behest of a criminal in Romania, but prosecutors have not confirmed this hypothesis.
Romania compensated with 5.7 million euros
The Romanian state received compensation worth 5.7 million euros for the four stolen heritage objects from a museum in the Netherlands.
The amount was fully paid by one of the largest Dutch insurance companies and has already been deposited into the account of the National Museum of Romanian History.
Authorities decided not to wait for the completion of the criminal investigation to receive the compensation.
The compensation was paid in two installments: 4.845 million euros (85% of the total value) on August 25 and 855,000 euros (15% of the total) on September 12, as specified by the Ministry of Culture.