Six Individuals Detained After €12 Million Robbery on Gold Processing Laboratory in France

A team of six suspects using military-grade weapons detonated charges to breach the security of a precious metals processing plant located in Lyon, France, resulting in minor injuries to five staff members during what appears to be the most recent prominent daylight theft to occur in France.

The bold operation occurred on Thursday late morning, with police forces rapidly detaining the alleged criminals and securing the stolen items estimated to be worth 12 million euros (£10.5M), as stated by authorities.

Five workers of the precious metals facility were slightly hurt as a result of the detonation, and three individuals were taken to a medical facility for examination, according to regional authorities. Twenty-eight employees were at the location when the thieves struck.

The suspects, thought to be experienced criminals, were taken into custody shortly after the incident in the nearby town of the town of Vénissieux, authorities revealed.

A woman involved involved in the raid was likewise arrested, officers confirmed.

“Six individuals who used detonations in an assault targeting a gold refining facility in Lyon were caught in the act,” France's security official declared on social media, commending law enforcement for their “decisiveness, speed and control”.

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

The heist took place as French police on the same day detained five further people, among them a key figure, in relation to the bold raid on the Louvre museum.

Many investigative personnel have been pursuing four perpetrators who used a vehicle featuring an elevating platform and cutting tools to access a gallery on the first floor at the prestigious institution on October 19th, fleeing with precious items estimated to be worth €88M.

In a different significant robbery, burglars recently forced their way into 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 connection with the break-in, prosecutors stated.

The sequence of heists has sparked worry in the country regarding insufficient protection at cultural venues and other facilities containing precious artifacts.