Six Arrested Following 12 Million Euro Robbery on Gold Refining Lab in France

Six armed perpetrators equipped with assault rifles and handguns employed explosives to break into a precious metals processing plant located in Lyon, causing light wounds to five staff members during described as the latest high-profile daylight theft to occur in the country.

The daring raid took place on Thursday afternoon, with law enforcement authorities swiftly apprehending the individuals believed responsible and recovering the stolen goods assessed at around €12 million (£10.5M), according to officials.

Five employees of the gold refining company received light wounds as a result of the detonation, and three of them required hospital checks for examination, according to regional authorities. A total of twenty-eight staff were present on-site when the thieves struck.

The suspects, believed to be experienced criminals, were arrested shortly after the incident in the neighboring community of the town of Vénissieux, a source close to the investigation stated.

A female participant who took part in the raid was likewise arrested, according to law enforcement.

“Six individuals who employed explosive devices in a raid against a metals processing plant in Lyon, France were arrested at the scene,” the nation's interior minister announced via X, lauding police for their “firmness, rapid response and command”.

Military-style weapons, pistols and explosive materials were likewise seized.

The raid happened as authorities on that Thursday apprehended five additional individuals, including a primary suspect, in relation to the recent audacious theft at the Louvre.

Dozens of investigators have been hunting four perpetrators who used a vehicle with a hydraulic lift and cutting gear to access a gallery on the first floor at the prestigious institution on 19 October, escaping with ornaments assessed at around 88 million euros.

In another notable incident, thieves last month entered illegally the French capital's Natural History Museum, making off with gold samples valued at more than one million dollars. A woman from China, aged 24 was taken into custody recently in Barcelona, Spain in relation to the burglary, prosecutors stated.

The sequence of heists has raised concerns in the country regarding inadequate security measures at museums and various establishments containing precious artifacts.