Ancient Romanian artifacts recovered after Dutch heist

AMSTERDAM - A 2,500-year-old golden helmet and two other ancient Romanian treasures stolen from a museum in the Netherlands have been recovered thanks to information from the suspected thieves in detention, Dutch prosecutors said on Thursday.

The artefacts, from Geto-Dacian communities, were presented at a press conference at the Drents Museum in the northern Dutch city of Assen where they had been on loan but were stolen in an overnight heist in January last year.

The golden Helmet of Cotofenesti is one of Romania's most important archaeological objects.

The two gold bracelets recovered date back to 50 B.C. Another bracelet remains missing, lead prosecutor Corien Fahner told reporters.

Suspects in custody for months over the theft gave information leading to their return as part of a deal in relation to their trial, she added, without giving more details.

Three men are in custody in the Netherlands on suspicion of stealing the artefacts, setting off explosives

The artefacts belong to the National History Museum in Bucharest.

-Bart Meijer and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne/Reuters