Three men were sentenced to 47 months in prison on Friday for stealing an ornate Romanian gold helmet and bracelets during a raid at a Dutch museum last January.
The Northern Netherlands District Court stated the three unnamed individuals received custodial sentences due to the nature and gravity of their crime. Security footage showed the robbers using explosives to open a door, followed by an explosion.
The Cotofenesti helmet and three golden bracelets – some of Romania’s most revered national treasures from the Dacia civilization – were stolen while on loan for an exhibition at the Drents Museum. The museum’s general director described it as “a dark day” for the institution.
Cornel Constantin Ilie, interim director of Bucharest’s National History Museum, described the items as “relics of our historical memory, as the legacy of a civilization that continues to define us.”
Two of the bracelets and the helmet were recovered earlier this year after prosecutors agreed to a deal with two thieves who helped in return for a lower sentencing demand. The third bracelet remains missing.
The artifacts were returned in perfect condition, according to museum officials, while the helmet had minor damage that was difficult to see. The court said the treasures were insured for about $6.6 million but emphasized their priceless value. The recovered artifacts have been returned to Romania.
While only two suspects helped recover the artifacts, judges gave all three reduced sentences, stating they should “profit from the return of the treasures.”