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

A group of six individuals carrying assault rifles and handguns detonated charges to force entry into a gold treatment facility located in Lyon, France, causing light wounds to five staff members during what appears to be the newest significant broad daylight robbery to affect the nation.

The audacious robbery was carried out on Thursday late morning, with police forces swiftly apprehending the individuals believed responsible and recovering the stolen goods assessed at around 12 million euros (£10.5M), as stated by authorities.

Five staff members of the precious metals facility sustained minor injuries from the blast, and three individuals required hospital checks for assessment, officials confirmed. Twenty-eight workers were inside the facility when the thieves struck.

Those arrested, believed to be seasoned offenders, were taken into custody shortly after the incident in the adjacent municipality of Vénissieux, a source close to the investigation stated.

A female accomplice involved in the raid was likewise arrested, according to law enforcement.

“Six suspects who utilized explosives in a raid against a metals processing plant in Lyon were caught in the act,” France's security official announced via X, praising officers for their “quick action, authority and management”.

High-caliber firearms, handguns and detonation devices were also confiscated.

The robbery occurred as law enforcement in France on Thursday apprehended five additional individuals, including a primary suspect, in regarding the recent audacious Louvre museum robbery.

Numerous detectives have been hunting four perpetrators who employed a truck featuring an elevating platform and cutting gear to break into an upper-level exhibition space at the museum on the nineteenth of October, escaping with jewelry valued at approximately 88 million euros.

In another notable incident, thieves last month entered illegally 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 arrested earlier this month in the city of Barcelona in relation to the burglary, officials confirmed.

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