The Van Gogh Museum Heist occurred on December 7, 2002, when two paintings by Vincent van Gogh were stolen from the museum in Amsterdam. The artworks, titled View of the Sea at Scheveningen and Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen, were valued at millions of euros. The thieves broke in during the night, bypassing security systems. Despite extensive investigations, the paintings remained missing for years. In 2016, Italian authorities recovered the artworks in a raid linked to organized crime. The successful recovery highlighted the ongoing efforts to combat art theft and protect cultural heritage.