"This is incredible. This is the best news we could have gotten," said Brand, confirming that the lost Cotofenesti Helmet had been found. Prosecutors are expected to issue an official statement later on Thursday. A gang of robbers used fireworks bombs to break into the Drents Museum in the northern Netherlands in January 2025, smashing display cases after entering. They took the 5th-century BCE gold Cotofenesti Helmet and three gold bracelets. The theft and the search for the loot were regularly in the news in the Netherlands and caused outrage in Romania, where these items are considered national treasures. "This is a dark day. In its 170-year history, there has never been such a serious incident," said Harry Tupan, the general director of the Drents Museum at the time. The Dutch government set aside 5.7 million euros ($6.5 million) for a possible payout following the brazen theft. Brand, nicknamed the "Indiana Jones of the art world," made headlines worldwide for his spectacular recoveries of stolen artworks. In July 2025, he returned a priceless collection of stolen documents from the 15th to 19th centuries, including several archives inscribed on UNESCO's list from the world's first multinational corporation. Several months earlier, Brand helped Dutch police solve the case of the mysterious disappearance of a Brueghel painting from a Polish museum more than 50 years ago. Among Brand's other achievements is the return of a Vincent van Gogh painting to a museum in 2023, more than three years after it was stolen. In 2022, he returned a Roman statue stolen from the Musee du Pays Chatillonnais in 1973. He also returned Salvador Dali's "Adolescence," a Picasso painting, and the "Hitler's Horses" sculptures, which once stood in front of the Nazi leader's Berlin chancellery. In 2017, the detective told CBS News that he made deals with terrorist groups, the mafia, and various shady individuals to track artworks on the black market. "On one side, you have the police, insurance companies, and collectors, and on the other side, you have criminals, art thieves, and forgers. So, there are two completely different worlds, and they don't communicate. That's why I put myself in the middle," said Brand.