Six Arrested After €12 Million Armed Raid on Gold Refining Lab in France

A team of six suspects equipped with assault rifles and handguns employed explosives to breach the security of a precious metals processing plant located in Lyon, France, resulting in minor injuries to five employees during what is being called the most recent prominent broad daylight robbery to occur in France.

The audacious robbery was carried out on Thursday afternoon, with law enforcement authorities quickly arresting the suspected perpetrators and securing the stolen items assessed at around 12 million euros (£10.5M), as stated by authorities.

Five staff members of the gold refining company were slightly hurt from the blast, and three of them required hospital checks for examination, the regional prefecture announced. Twenty-eight workers were inside the facility when the perpetrators raided.

The suspects, believed to be experienced criminals, were detained shortly after the incident in the nearby town of Vénissieux, a source close to the investigation stated.

A female participant who took part in the heist was taken into custody as well, officers confirmed.

“Six individuals who used detonations in a raid against a precious metals company in Lyon were arrested at the scene,” the nation's interior minister stated online, lauding police for their “decisiveness, speed and control”.

Assault rifles, handguns and explosives were likewise seized.

The raid happened as authorities on the same day apprehended five additional individuals, including a primary suspect, in connection with the recent audacious theft at the Louvre.

Many investigative personnel have been hunting four thieves who utilized a lorry with a hydraulic lift and cutting equipment to breach a first-floor gallery at the museum on October 19th, fleeing with ornaments assessed at around €88M.

In a different significant robbery, thieves last month forced their way into the Parisian museum of natural history, making off with gold samples valued at more than one million dollars. A woman from China, aged 24 was taken into custody recently in the city of Barcelona in relation to the burglary, according to legal authorities.

The string of thefts has generated apprehension in France regarding inadequate security measures at museums and other institutions housing valuable items.