Six Arrested After €12 Million Heist on Precious Metals Facility in France

Six armed perpetrators equipped with assault rifles and handguns used explosive devices to force entry into a gold refining laboratory located in Lyon, resulting in minor injuries to five workers during what is being called the newest significant daytime heist to occur in France.

The bold operation took place on Thursday afternoon, with police forces rapidly detaining the suspected perpetrators and recovering the stolen goods estimated to be worth 12 million euros (£10.5 million), as stated by authorities.

Five employees of the precious metals facility sustained minor injuries as a result of the detonation, and three employees required hospital checks for assessment, according to regional authorities. Twenty-eight workers were present on-site when the thieves struck.

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 participated in the robbery was also apprehended, according to law enforcement.

“Six individuals who used detonations in a raid against a gold refining facility in the Lyon area were arrested at the scene,” 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 heist took place as authorities on that Thursday detained five further people, featuring a main perpetrator, in relation to the recent audacious theft at the Louvre.

Dozens of investigators have been searching for four robbers who used a vehicle with a hydraulic lift and cutting gear to access a gallery on the first floor at the prestigious institution on October 19th, fleeing with jewelry valued at approximately €88 million.

In a separate high-profile case, thieves last month broke into the French capital's Natural History Museum, making off with gold samples valued at more than one million dollars. A woman from China, aged 24 was arrested earlier this month in Barcelona, Spain in relation to the burglary, according to legal authorities.

The string of thefts has sparked worry in France regarding insufficient protection at museums and various establishments housing valuable items.