Six Arrested Following €12M Robbery on Precious Metals Facility in France

A team of six suspects equipped with high-powered firearms employed explosives to breach the security of a gold refining laboratory located in Lyon, slightly injuring five workers during described as the newest significant daytime heist to occur in France.

The audacious robbery occurred on the afternoon of Thursday, with law enforcement authorities quickly arresting the alleged criminals and recovering the stolen goods valued at approximately €12M (£10.5 million), according to officials.

Five staff members of the precious metals facility were slightly hurt from the blast, and three of them were transported to hospital for evaluation, officials confirmed. Twenty-eight workers were present on-site when the perpetrators raided.

The individuals, thought to be career criminals, were arrested shortly after the incident in the neighboring community of Vénissieux, according to investigative sources.

A woman involved who took part in the raid was taken into custody as well, a police source indicated.

“Six individuals who used detonations in an assault targeting a gold refining facility in Lyon were caught in the act,” France's security official announced via X, commending law enforcement for their “decisiveness, speed and control”.

Assault rifles, handguns and explosives were likewise seized.

The robbery occurred as law enforcement in France on the same day arrested five more suspects, among them a key figure, in connection with the recent audacious Louvre museum robbery.

Many investigative personnel have been hunting four perpetrators who utilized a lorry equipped with a moving lift and cutting equipment to access a gallery on the first floor at the prestigious institution on 19 October, fleeing with jewelry valued at approximately €88M.

In another notable incident, burglars recently forced their way into the Parisian museum of natural history, stealing gold samples valued at more than one million dollars. A 24-year-old Chinese woman was arrested earlier this month in Barcelona, Spain in connection with the break-in, prosecutors stated.

The string of thefts has sparked worry in France regarding lax security at cultural venues and other facilities containing precious artifacts.