This information shows that insurance broker Aon already did so well before the opening of the exhibition Dacia, rich in gold and silver found that the display glass was insufficiently burglar-resistant for the masterpieces. The museum did not choose to replace the display cases. During the burglary it turned out that the P2A glass used collapsed after just two hammer blows.
The three perpetrators disappeared within a few minutes with a gold helmet and three bracelets worth 5.7 million euros. Although suspects have been arrested, the art treasures are still missing. The Dutch government ultimately paid the full insured amount, because the exhibition was covered by a national guarantee.
According to RTL Nieuws, other weak spots in the museum had also been identified earlier. For example, the emergency door that the perpetrators blew up was insufficiently certified, according to Aon. Yet the Drents Museum reports in a response that the museum cannot be blamed. “After the attack on our museum, the experts engaged by insurers found that the conditions of the policy have been met.”
Security experts react critically and speak of ‘trash work’. For example, the display case that was supposed to protect Cotofenesti’s golden helmet had no rebates for ‘aesthetic reasons’. In other words, edges that make the display case considerably stronger.
According to police interrogations, the museum itself already had concerns about the display cases, but a former FBI art theft expert explains that almost no measure can completely stop violent criminals.