According to early reports, the crime began around 4:45 p.m. Two men entered the museum located at 24 Chemin du Bois-de-Vaux after purchasing tickets at the entrance. They moved among the exhibits without drawing attention, blending in with the remaining visitors. Shortly before the museum’s scheduled closing time of 6:00 p.m., and after the last visitors had departed for the evening, the men are alleged assaulted and overpowered the 64 year old security guard. The guard was assaulted and restrained, leaving the perpetrators free to break open a display case containing a selection of Roman gold coins.

The city of Lausanne has confirmed that the items stolen were gold coins from the museum’s celebrated Maladière Treasure, also known as the Vidy Treasure. This coin hoard, made up of roughly seventy gold aurei, dates from the reign of Emperor Tiberius, i.e., from about 14 to 37 CE.  They were uncovered during archaeological exploration work at the site of the ancient city of Lousonna in the 1930s, just steps away from the Roman museum.

Shortly after 144 AD, this hoard of coins, then one of the ten largest known in the Roman world, was buried in Lousonna in two separate hiding places inside the same house and span more than a century of Roman numismatic history. Each batch contained 35 gold coins: the first grouping minted between 72 and 143 CE,  and the second between 100 and 144 CE.  The variety represented in the Vidy Treasure makes it an invaluable resource for studying the monetary and cultural life of theRoman settlement in Switzerland near Lake Geneva.

The museum has not yet released a full list of the missing items and an active investigation is underway. Authorities are reviewing security footage and interviewing staff in an effort to identify the two thieves, while curators begin the difficult process of assessing which pieces have been taken. 

Since 2017, across Europe and beyond, museums have seen a rise in gold and jewellery related thefts in recent years, a trend driven largely by the intrinsic value and portability of the material itself. Unlike most art objects, which require a buyer willing to traffic in identifiable cultural property, gold artefacts such as coins offer thieves an immediate and anonymous payout: they can be melted down, stripped of identifying features, and sold as raw bullion within hours. This makes ancient coins, and other gold objects particularly attractive targets, especially for opportunistic criminal groups who view cultural heritage not for its historical significance but for its liquidation potential. 

With 70 coins in all, this treasure represents one avoirdupois pound of gold or slightly more than 14 troy ounces.  At the time of this hoard's burial, the gold coins were worth about 7,000 sesterces, the equivalent of 7 years’ salary for a legionary living in  that period.  At the time this blog article was written the current spot price for gold in Switzerland was approximately CHF 3,286.57 per troy ounce, meaning that melted down these historic finds would be worth approximately CHF 47,922. 

While the loss of any part of the Maladière Treasure represents a significant blow, both to the museum’s collection and to the wider field of Roman archaeology,  museums need to start treating their gold collections as high-risk holdings, balancing public access with heightened security to protect objects that are uniquely vulnerable to fast, irreversible destruction.

Dutch authorities continue to advance their inquiry into the high-profile burglary and theft that occurred on 25 January 2025 at the Drents Museum in Assen with an expanded suspect list that now includes seven individuals.  In the early morning hours of that day, a group of individuals accomplices set off explosives to force open a door to the museum and made off with four significant artefacts on loan from Romania: the Dacien golden helmet of Cotofenesti and three gold bangles.

Following the museum's theft, Dutch law enforcement launched an intensive investigation involving forensic analysis, surveillance footage review, and interagency cooperation.

The first breakthrough came on 29 January when three individuals from Heerhugowaard were taken into custody. The Dutch police publicly identified two of the suspects as Douglas Chesley Wendersteyt and Bernhard Zeeman, releasing both their names and photographs to the public. The third person arrested arrested was not named but is reported to be the partner of one of the suspects.

On 20 February, investigators arrested a fourth possible co-conspirator, a 26-year-old man from the nearby village of Obdam.  Around the same time, authorities announced they were actively seeking an additional suspect captured on CCTV footage wearing a Nike cap and glasses and visiting a hardware store in Assen shortly before the burglary.

The investigation continued into the spring, and on 5 April, a fifth potential accomplice—aged 36—was apprehended during a raid on a residence in Alkmaar, where the premises were thoroughly searched for evidence.

Yesterday, the list of suspects grew to seven, with two more individuals, a 20-year-old man and an 18-year-old man, both from Heerhugowaard, taken into custody. Authorities confirmed that one of them is the same individual previously seen in the CCTV footage from the hardware store.  Earlier in the day, the police had already searched a house in Opmeer and a business premises in Heerhugowaard.

According to the news site Europesays, of the seven, six suspects reportedly remain in custody, with the seventh released but still considered a suspect in the case.

Despite these arrests, the stolen Romanian artefacts remain missing. The ancient golden helmet and bracelets are considered significant cultural property, and their recovery remains a top priority with a reward for the golden tip that leads to their recovery being set at 250 thousand euros, an amount offered by the Dutch entrepreneur Alex van Breemen, who lives in Bucharest.

Dutch authorities continue to appeal to the public for information that may lead to the recovery of the stolen items. Anyone with relevant details is encouraged to contact investigators via the dedicated email: tips-assen@politie.nl.  Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Meld Misdaad Anoniem.

This case remains open, and further developments are expected as forensic analysis and interrogations continue. The investigation is being treated as a coordinated criminal operation, and authorities are examining links to broader organised networks.

Anyone with information related to the theft is urged to contact the Dutch police through their tip lines or via email at tips-assen@politie.nl. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Meld Misdaad Anoniem.

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. 

Despite these arrests, the four stolen artefacts have not been recovered. 

Authorities are intensifying their efforts to locate these invaluable pieces and are again seeking the public's assistance in identifying this fourth individual. This person may have been observed in a hardware store in Assen days before the robbery and may have purchased the tools depicted here, which could be the goods that were used during the break-in. 

The police have released these photographs and urge anyone with information on this individual or who may have engaged with this many to contact the Dutch authorities.

The Drents Museum has expressed its relief over the arrests and remains hopeful for the safe return of the artefacts. The museum's director emphasised the importance of these pieces to the Romanian people and to the broader historical community.