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

Six armed perpetrators equipped with assault rifles and handguns detonated charges to breach the security of a precious metals processing plant located in Lyon, slightly injuring five staff members during described as the latest high-profile daytime heist to affect the nation.

The audacious robbery occurred on Thursday afternoon, with police forces swiftly apprehending the suspected perpetrators and recovering the stolen goods assessed at around €12M (£10.5M), officials reported.

Five staff members of the precious metals facility were slightly hurt from the blast, and three of them were taken to a medical facility for assessment, officials confirmed. Twenty-eight employees were present on-site when the robbers attacked.

The individuals, thought to be career criminals, were taken into custody soon afterwards in the neighboring community of the town of Vénissieux, authorities revealed.

A woman involved who participated in the robbery was likewise arrested, according to law enforcement.

“Six individuals who employed explosive devices in an assault targeting a precious metals company in Lyon were apprehended red-handed,” France's security official stated online, lauding police for their “firmness, rapid response and command”.

Assault rifles, handguns and explosives were recovered as well.

The heist took place as French police on the same day arrested five more suspects, including a primary suspect, in connection with this month's brazen Louvre museum robbery.

Numerous detectives have been hunting four robbers who used a vehicle equipped with a moving lift and cutting gear to breach a first-floor gallery at the museum on 19 October, escaping with precious items estimated to be worth €88M.

In another notable incident, robbers the previous month forced their way into the French capital's Natural History Museum, making off with gold samples worth over $1 million. A 24-year-old Chinese woman was taken into custody recently in Barcelona, Spain in connection with the break-in, according to legal authorities.

The sequence of heists has sparked worry in the nation regarding lax security at museums and other institutions housing valuable items.