Six Suspects Apprehended Following €12M Heist on Gold Processing Laboratory in the French Republic

A team of six suspects using military-grade weapons detonated charges to break into a precious metals processing plant located in the city of Lyon, causing light wounds to five staff members during what appears to be the latest high-profile daytime heist to affect the country.

The bold operation occurred on Thursday late morning, with officers rapidly detaining the suspected perpetrators and securing the stolen items assessed at around 12 million euros (£10.5 million), as stated by authorities.

Five workers of the gold refining company sustained minor injuries as a result of the detonation, and three of them were transported to hospital for assessment, according to regional authorities. Twenty-eight employees were inside the facility when the perpetrators raided.

The individuals, believed to be seasoned offenders, were detained soon afterwards in the neighboring community of the town of Vénissieux, according to investigative sources.

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

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

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

The robbery occurred as French police on the same day detained five further people, featuring a main perpetrator, in connection with the recent audacious raid on the Louvre museum.

Dozens of investigators have been pursuing four robbers who used a vehicle with a hydraulic lift and cutting gear to access a gallery on the first floor at the renowned museum on October 19th, making off with precious items estimated to be worth 88 million euros.

In a separate high-profile case, robbers the previous month forced their way into the French capital's Natural History Museum, making off with gold samples estimated at exceeding $1M. A young Chinese female was taken into custody recently in the city of Barcelona in connection with the break-in, prosecutors stated.

The sequence of heists has sparked worry in France regarding lax security at museums and other institutions containing precious artifacts.