Six Individuals Detained Following €12M Robbery on Gold Processing Laboratory in France

Six armed perpetrators using military-grade weapons detonated charges to breach the security of a precious metals processing plant located in the city of Lyon, resulting in minor injuries to five employees during what appears to be the latest high-profile daylight theft to hit the country.

The daring raid took place on the afternoon of Thursday, with officers quickly arresting the alleged criminals and recovering the stolen goods valued at approximately €12M (£10.5 million), as stated by authorities.

Five workers of Laboratoires Pourquery sustained minor injuries as a result of the detonation, and three individuals were taken to a medical facility for assessment, officials confirmed. Twenty-eight employees were inside the facility when the robbers attacked.

The individuals, believed to be seasoned offenders, were detained soon afterwards in the nearby town of Vénissieux, France, a source close to the investigation stated.

A female accomplice involved in the robbery was likewise arrested, a police source indicated.

“Six suspects who employed explosive devices in an attack on a gold refining facility in the Lyon area were arrested at the scene,” France's security official stated online, lauding police for their “firmness, rapid response and command”.

Military-style weapons, pistols and explosive materials were recovered as well.

The raid happened as authorities on the same day detained five further people, featuring a main perpetrator, in relation to the bold Louvre museum robbery.

Many investigative personnel have been hunting four perpetrators who used a vehicle equipped with a moving lift and cutting gear to access a gallery on the first floor at the renowned museum on the nineteenth of October, escaping with ornaments assessed at around €88M.

In a different significant robbery, robbers the previous month entered illegally the Natural History Museum in Paris, making off with gold samples worth over $1 million. A 24-year-old Chinese woman was taken into custody recently in Barcelona in relation to the burglary, officials confirmed.

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