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

Six armed perpetrators equipped with assault rifles and handguns used explosive devices to breach the security of a precious metals processing plant located in Lyon, resulting in minor injuries to five employees during described as the latest high-profile broad daylight robbery to affect the country.

The daring raid took place on Thursday late morning, with police forces swiftly apprehending the individuals believed responsible and retrieving the loot valued at approximately €12M (10.5 million pounds), as stated by authorities.

Five workers of the precious metals facility were slightly hurt due to the explosion, and three individuals were taken to a medical facility for evaluation, the regional prefecture announced. A total of twenty-eight staff were inside the facility when the thieves struck.

The individuals, thought 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 who participated in the robbery was also apprehended, according to law enforcement.

“Six suspects who utilized explosives in a raid against a precious metals company in Lyon were apprehended red-handed,” France's security official declared on social media, lauding police for their “decisiveness, speed and control”.

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

The robbery occurred as law enforcement in France on the same day arrested five more suspects, including a primary suspect, in connection with the recent audacious Louvre museum robbery.

Numerous detectives have been searching for four perpetrators who used a vehicle equipped with a moving lift and cutting tools to access a gallery on the first floor at the renowned museum on October 19th, fleeing with precious items estimated to be worth 88 million euros.

In another notable incident, thieves last month forced their way into the Natural History Museum in Paris, taking gold specimens estimated at exceeding $1M. A young Chinese female was taken into custody recently in Barcelona, Spain in regarding the theft, prosecutors stated.

This series of robberies has sparked worry in the nation regarding insufficient protection at museums and various establishments containing precious artifacts.