Six Arrested Following €12M Armed Raid on Precious Metals Facility in France

A group of six individuals carrying military-grade weapons detonated charges to break into a gold refining laboratory located in the city of Lyon, resulting in minor injuries to five workers during described as the latest high-profile daytime heist to occur in the nation.

The daring raid occurred on the afternoon of Thursday, with police forces rapidly detaining the alleged criminals and retrieving the loot estimated to be worth 12 million euros (£10.5 million), 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. Twenty-eight employees were at the location when the perpetrators raided.

Those arrested, thought to be experienced criminals, were detained soon afterwards in the nearby town of Vénissieux, authorities revealed.

A female accomplice who participated in the heist was taken into custody as well, according to law enforcement.

“Six suspects who employed explosive devices in a raid against a precious metals company in Lyon, France were arrested at the scene,” the nation's interior minister stated online, praising officers for their “decisiveness, speed and control”.

Assault rifles, handguns and explosives were likewise seized.

The robbery occurred as authorities on the same day arrested five more suspects, including a primary suspect, in regarding the recent audacious raid on the Louvre museum.

Many investigative personnel have been searching for four perpetrators who used a vehicle featuring an elevating platform and cutting equipment to breach a first-floor gallery at the museum on 19 October, making off with ornaments assessed at around €88M.

In another notable incident, robbers the previous month entered illegally the Natural History Museum in Paris, stealing gold samples valued at more than one million dollars. A woman from China, aged 24 was taken into custody recently in Barcelona, Spain in regarding the theft, officials confirmed.

The string of thefts has raised concerns in France regarding inadequate security measures at museums and various establishments housing valuable items.