Six Suspects Apprehended After €12M Robbery on Precious Metals Facility in France

Six armed perpetrators using assault rifles and handguns used explosive devices to force entry into a gold refining laboratory located in the city of Lyon, resulting in minor injuries to five employees during described as the most recent prominent daylight theft to occur in France.

The daring raid was carried out on Thursday late morning, with law enforcement authorities swiftly apprehending the individuals believed responsible and recovering the stolen goods estimated to be worth 12 million euros (10.5 million pounds), according to officials.

Five employees of the precious metals facility sustained minor injuries as a result of the detonation, and three of them were transported to hospital for evaluation, the regional prefecture announced. A total of twenty-eight staff were present on-site when the thieves struck.

Those arrested, believed to be seasoned offenders, were detained shortly after the incident in the neighboring community of Vénissieux, authorities revealed.

A female participant who participated in the raid was taken into custody as well, a police source indicated.

“Six suspects who used detonations in a raid against a metals processing plant in the Lyon area were apprehended red-handed,” the French interior minister declared on social media, praising officers for their “firmness, rapid response and command”.

High-caliber firearms, handguns and detonation devices were likewise seized.

The heist took place as law enforcement in France on Thursday apprehended five additional individuals, featuring a main perpetrator, in relation to the bold raid on the Louvre museum.

Dozens of investigators have been pursuing four robbers who utilized a lorry equipped with a moving lift and cutting gear to access a gallery on the first floor at the prestigious institution on 19 October, making off with ornaments assessed at around €88 million.

In a separate high-profile case, thieves last month forced their way into the Parisian museum of natural history, taking gold specimens valued at more than one million dollars. A woman from China, aged 24 was arrested earlier this month in the city of Barcelona in regarding the theft, according to legal authorities.

The string of thefts has raised concerns in the nation regarding inadequate security measures at museums and various establishments housing valuable items.