Dutch police are investigating the Remmo clan, a notorious organized crime group, in connection with the theft of Romania’s Helmet of Coțofenești and three Dacian gold bracelets from a Dutch museum.
The clan, which has been linked to a number of high-profile art and jewelry heists in Germany for decades, has now come under suspicion for the theft, according to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
On Saturday, thieves stole the helmet and the other treasure from the museum in the Dutch town of Assen. The loss of the 2,500-year-old gold helmet, one of Romania’s most prized national treasures, has stunned the country, with Marcel Ciolacu, the prime minister, saying he was “outraged” by the theft.
The car used in the theft was found burned 6 km from Assen, and police suspect the thieves escaped in another vehicle seen stopping nearby.
On Wednesday, Dutch police arrested three people over the theft, but authorities are also looking into a man who exhibited suspicious behavior at the museum five days before the robbery.
Police have published photos of the fourth suspect on their official website.
Originating from the Mhallami ethnic group, the Remmo clan settled in Berlin after fleeing the Lebanese Civil War in the 1970s. German authorities estimate the clan includes up to 1,000 members, with a history of organized crime spanning extortion, drug trafficking and major burglaries.
One of their most notorious heists took place in March 2017, when members of the clan stole the “Big Maple Leaf,” a 100-kilogram gold coin, from Berlin’s Bode Museum. Valued at approximately €3.75 million, the coin was never recovered and is believed to have been melted down for sale on the black market.
In 2019, the group carried out what German media called the “heist of the century” at the Green Vault Museum in Dresden. Thieves stole diamond-encrusted jewelry worth an estimated €113 million. Five clan members were later convicted, and some stolen pieces were recovered in a deal with the authorities.
On Saturday, thieves stole the helmet and the other treasure from the museum in the Dutch town of Assen. The loss of the 2,500-year-old gold helmet, one of Romania’s most prized national treasures, has stunned the country, with Marcel Ciolacu, the prime minister, saying he was “outraged” by the theft.
The car used in the theft was found burned 6 km from Assen, and police suspect the thieves escaped in another vehicle seen stopping nearby.
On Wednesday, Dutch police arrested three people over the theft, but authorities are also looking into a man who exhibited suspicious behavior at the museum five days before the robbery.
Police have published photos of the fourth suspect on their official website.
Remmo clan
Originating from the Mhallami ethnic group, the Remmo clan settled in Berlin after fleeing the Lebanese Civil War in the 1970s. German authorities estimate the clan includes up to 1,000 members, with a history of organized crime spanning extortion, drug trafficking and major burglaries.
One of their most notorious heists took place in March 2017, when members of the clan stole the “Big Maple Leaf,” a 100-kilogram gold coin, from Berlin’s Bode Museum. Valued at approximately €3.75 million, the coin was never recovered and is believed to have been melted down for sale on the black market.
In 2019, the group carried out what German media called the “heist of the century” at the Green Vault Museum in Dresden. Thieves stole diamond-encrusted jewelry worth an estimated €113 million. Five clan members were later convicted, and some stolen pieces were recovered in a deal with the authorities.
More In Society MORE...
