Six Suspects Apprehended Following €12M Robbery on Gold Refining Lab in France

A team of six suspects using high-powered firearms employed explosives to force entry into a precious metals processing plant located in Lyon, causing light wounds to five workers during what appears to be the latest high-profile daytime heist to affect the nation.

The bold operation took place on the afternoon of Thursday, with officers quickly arresting the suspected perpetrators and securing the stolen items estimated to be worth €12 million (£10.5 million), as stated by authorities.

Five workers of the gold refining company sustained minor injuries as a result of the detonation, and three of them required hospital checks for evaluation, the regional prefecture announced. Twenty-eight workers were present on-site when the thieves struck.

The suspects, considered experienced criminals, were detained a brief time later in the nearby town of Vénissieux, France, authorities revealed.

A woman involved who took part in the raid was likewise arrested, a police source indicated.

“Six people who employed explosive devices in a raid against a gold refining facility in the Lyon area were arrested at the scene,” the French interior minister stated online, commending law enforcement for their “quick action, authority and management”.

High-caliber firearms, handguns and detonation devices were recovered as well.

The heist took place as authorities on the same day apprehended five additional individuals, including a primary suspect, in regarding the recent audacious Louvre museum robbery.

Numerous detectives have been pursuing four thieves who employed a truck with a hydraulic lift and cutting gear to break into an upper-level exhibition space at the prestigious institution on 19 October, escaping with jewelry valued at approximately 88 million euros.

In a separate high-profile case, burglars recently entered illegally the Parisian museum of natural history, making off with gold samples estimated at exceeding $1M. A woman from China, aged 24 was taken into custody recently in the city of Barcelona in regarding the theft, officials confirmed.

The string of thefts has sparked worry in the country regarding inadequate security measures at museums and other institutions housing valuable items.