Six Arrested After 12 Million Euro Heist on Gold Processing Laboratory in France

Six armed perpetrators carrying high-powered firearms detonated charges to force entry into a gold treatment facility located in the city of Lyon, slightly injuring five staff members during what is being called the latest high-profile broad daylight robbery to hit the country.

The daring raid took place on Thursday late morning, with law enforcement authorities quickly arresting the alleged criminals and securing the stolen items assessed at around €12 million (£10.5M), according to officials.

Five staff members of the gold refining company sustained minor injuries as a result of the detonation, and three of them required hospital checks for examination, according to regional authorities. Twenty-eight employees were present on-site when the robbers attacked.

Those arrested, believed to be career criminals, were detained shortly after the incident in the neighboring community of the town of Vénissieux, a source close to the investigation stated.

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

“Six suspects who used detonations in a raid against a metals processing plant in Lyon, France were apprehended red-handed,” France's security official stated online, commending law enforcement for their “firmness, rapid response and command”.

Assault rifles, handguns and explosives were recovered as well.

The robbery occurred as authorities on the same day detained five further people, among them a key figure, in connection with this month's brazen raid on the Louvre museum.

Numerous detectives have been searching for four thieves who used a vehicle with a hydraulic lift and cutting gear to break into an upper-level exhibition space at the renowned museum on 19 October, fleeing with jewelry valued at approximately 88 million euros.

In a separate high-profile case, burglars recently broke into the Parisian museum of natural history, stealing gold samples worth over $1 million. A woman from China, aged 24 was taken into custody recently in Barcelona, Spain in regarding the theft, prosecutors stated.

This series of robberies has sparked worry in France regarding insufficient protection at museums and other institutions holding high-value objects.