Six Suspects Apprehended After €12M Robbery on Precious Metals Facility in France

Six armed perpetrators carrying military-grade weapons employed explosives to breach the security of a precious metals processing plant located in the city of Lyon, slightly injuring five employees during what appears to be the latest high-profile daytime heist to hit France.

The audacious robbery took place on Thursday late morning, with police forces rapidly detaining the individuals believed responsible and securing the stolen items estimated to be worth €12 million (£10.5M), according to officials.

Five staff members of the precious metals facility received light wounds as a result of the detonation, and three of them required hospital checks for evaluation, the regional prefecture announced. A total of twenty-eight staff were inside the facility when the robbers attacked.

Those arrested, believed to be seasoned offenders, were taken into custody shortly after the incident in the neighboring community of the town of Vénissieux, according to investigative sources.

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

“Six suspects who used detonations in an attack on a metals processing plant in the Lyon area were arrested at the scene,” France's security official announced via X, commending law enforcement for their “quick action, authority and management”.

High-caliber firearms, handguns and detonation devices were likewise seized.

The robbery occurred as French police on Thursday detained five further people, among them a key figure, in regarding the recent audacious theft at the Louvre.

Many investigative personnel have been searching for four robbers who employed a truck featuring an elevating platform and cutting equipment to breach a first-floor gallery at the museum on 19 October, making off with jewelry valued at approximately 88 million euros.

In a different significant robbery, burglars recently forced their way into the Parisian museum of natural history, stealing gold samples estimated at exceeding $1M. A woman from China, aged 24 was apprehended in the current month in Barcelona, Spain in connection with the break-in, according to legal authorities.

The string of thefts has generated apprehension in the nation regarding inadequate security measures at museums and various establishments holding high-value objects.