Six Arrested After 12 Million Euro Robbery on Precious Metals Facility in France

Six armed perpetrators carrying assault rifles and handguns detonated charges to break into a gold refining laboratory located in the city of Lyon, resulting in minor injuries to five workers during what appears to be the latest high-profile broad daylight robbery to affect the country.

The audacious robbery occurred on Thursday late morning, with law enforcement authorities quickly arresting the suspected perpetrators and securing the stolen items assessed at around €12 million (£10.5 million), according to officials.

Five workers of the precious metals facility received light wounds from the blast, and three individuals were transported to hospital for examination, the regional prefecture announced. Twenty-eight employees were present on-site when the perpetrators raided.

The individuals, thought to be experienced criminals, were arrested shortly after the incident in the neighboring community of Vénissieux, France, authorities revealed.

A female accomplice involved in the raid was taken into custody as well, according to law enforcement.

“Six suspects who used detonations in a raid against a gold refining facility in the Lyon area were apprehended red-handed,” the French interior minister stated online, praising officers for their “firmness, rapid response and command”.

Military-style weapons, pistols and explosive materials were likewise seized.

The heist took place as authorities on that Thursday apprehended five additional individuals, including a primary suspect, in connection with the recent audacious theft at the Louvre.

Many investigative personnel have been pursuing four thieves who utilized a lorry with a hydraulic lift and cutting gear to access a gallery on the first floor at the prestigious institution on 19 October, making off with jewelry valued at approximately 88 million euros.

In another notable incident, thieves last month broke into the French capital's Natural History Museum, stealing gold samples worth over $1 million. A young Chinese female was taken into custody recently in Barcelona, Spain in regarding the theft, prosecutors stated.

The string of thefts has raised concerns in the country regarding inadequate security measures at museums and other institutions holding high-value objects.