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January 31, 2025

Friday, January 31, 2025 - ,,,,,,,, No comments

Drents Museum Heist: Two Suspects Named, Search for Stolen Artifacts Continues

In a significant development in the Drents Museum burglary case, Dutch authorities have publicly identified two suspects: Douglas Chesley Wendersteyt and Bernhard Zeeman, both residents of Heerhugowaard.  The duo is alleged to have been involved in the theft of invaluable Dacian artefacts, including a 2,500-year-old golden helmet of Coțofenești as well as three solid gold spirals, from the museum in Assen. 

The heist, which occurred in the Netherlands on January 25, 2025, has been described by Drents Museum director Harry Tupan as the most significant incident in the institution's 170-year history.  Following the burglary, investigators discovered a bag containing clothing in Assen, which along with other investigative traces, led them to Wendersteyt and Zeeman.  Authorities have since released the names and two photographs of the two of the three suspects under investigation and are appealing to the public for any information regarding their whereabouts or activities in the days leading up to and immediately after the theft. 

In addition to Wendersteyt and Zeeman, the third individual, a woman, also from Heerhugowaard, has been arrested in connection with the case. Her identity has not been disclosed, but Dutch and Romanian news reports suggest that she and one of the male suspects are a couple with two young children. 

Zeeman, aged 34, has (at least for now) a profile on LinkedIn which describes him as a scaffolding fitter and carpenter.  Dutch news agency De Telegraaf indicates he was convicted of a very violent house robbery in Heerhugowaard in 2014 in which he was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for his role in a home invasion in which a 12-year-old girl, her eight year old brother, and their parents were tied up and threatened with a gun.  In that incident the thieves made off with the family’s Audi A6 as well as jewellery.  

Wendersteyt is also reported as having a criminal record and has been convicted of, among other things, robberies in the Heerhugowaard region.

The stolen artefacts from the Drents Museum are considered Romanian national treasures, and their theft has elicited strong reactions from Romanian officials, who are concerned about the potential loss of such culturally significant items. 

As the investigation continues, Dutch police are continuing to urge anyone with information about the suspects or the missing artefacts to come forward.  The authorities are particularly interested in details regarding the suspects' movements and any potential accomplices involved in the heist.

By:  Lynda Albertson

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