Six Arrested Following €12 Million Armed Raid on Gold Refining Lab in the French Republic

Six armed perpetrators carrying military-grade weapons used explosive devices to break into a precious metals processing plant located in Lyon, causing light wounds to five employees during what is being called the newest significant daylight theft to hit France.

The daring raid took place on the afternoon of Thursday, with police forces quickly arresting the individuals believed responsible and securing the stolen items estimated to be worth €12 million (£10.5M), according to officials.

Five employees of Laboratoires Pourquery received light wounds as a result of the detonation, and three employees were transported to hospital for examination, the regional prefecture announced. Twenty-eight workers were at the location when the thieves struck.

The suspects, thought to be seasoned offenders, were taken into custody shortly after the incident in the nearby town of Vénissieux, France, a source close to the investigation stated.

A female participant who took part in the heist was taken into custody as well, a police source indicated.

“Six people who utilized explosives in an attack on a metals processing plant in Lyon, France were caught in the act,” France's security official announced via X, 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 Thursday arrested five more suspects, among them a key figure, in regarding this month's brazen raid on the Louvre museum.

Many investigative personnel have been hunting four perpetrators who used a vehicle with a hydraulic lift and cutting equipment to break into an upper-level exhibition space at the museum on 19 October, making off with ornaments assessed at around €88 million.

In another notable incident, robbers the previous month broke into the French capital's Natural History Museum, making off with gold samples estimated at exceeding $1M. A 24-year-old Chinese woman was arrested earlier this month in the city of Barcelona in connection with the break-in, according to legal authorities.

The sequence of heists has raised concerns in France regarding insufficient protection at museums and other institutions holding high-value objects.