Six Individuals Detained Following 12 Million Euro Robbery on Precious Metals Facility in France

Six armed perpetrators equipped with high-powered firearms used explosive devices to force entry into a gold treatment facility located in the city of Lyon, resulting in minor injuries to five staff members during what is being called the newest significant daylight theft to occur in the country.

The audacious robbery took place on Thursday late morning, with law enforcement authorities quickly arresting the alleged criminals and recovering the stolen goods valued at approximately €12M (£10.5 million), as stated by authorities.

Five staff members of the gold refining company were slightly hurt as a result of the detonation, and three of them were transported to hospital for evaluation, according to regional authorities. Twenty-eight workers were present on-site when the thieves struck.

The individuals, thought to be seasoned offenders, were detained shortly after the incident in the adjacent municipality of Vénissieux, authorities revealed.

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

“Six individuals who utilized explosives in an assault targeting a precious metals company in Lyon were apprehended red-handed,” France's security official announced via X, praising officers for their “decisiveness, speed and control”.

Military-style weapons, pistols and explosive materials were also confiscated.

The raid happened as law enforcement in France on Thursday arrested five more suspects, featuring a main perpetrator, in connection with this month's brazen raid on the Louvre museum.

Many investigative personnel have been pursuing four thieves who used a vehicle featuring an elevating platform and cutting gear to access a gallery on the first floor at the renowned museum on October 19th, fleeing with jewelry valued at approximately €88M.

In a separate high-profile case, thieves last month broke into the Natural History Museum in Paris, stealing gold samples worth over $1 million. A young Chinese female was arrested earlier this month in Barcelona in regarding the theft, according to legal authorities.

This series of robberies has sparked worry in the nation regarding inadequate security measures at museums and other institutions holding high-value objects.