Six Individuals Detained Following 12 Million Euro Heist on Precious Metals Facility in the French Republic

A group of six individuals equipped with military-grade weapons used explosive devices to breach the security of a precious metals processing plant located in Lyon, slightly injuring five employees during what appears to be the most recent prominent daylight theft to occur in France.

The daring raid took place on the afternoon of Thursday, with officers rapidly detaining the suspected perpetrators and securing the stolen items valued at approximately €12M (10.5 million pounds), officials reported.

Five workers of the precious metals facility received light wounds due to the explosion, and three individuals were transported to hospital for examination, according to regional authorities. Twenty-eight employees were at the location when the robbers attacked.

Those arrested, considered experienced criminals, were detained soon afterwards in the nearby town of Vénissieux, according to investigative sources.

A female participant who participated in the heist was taken into custody as well, officers confirmed.

“Six suspects who used detonations in an assault targeting a gold refining facility in Lyon, France were arrested at the scene,” the French interior minister stated online, praising officers for their “decisiveness, speed and control”.

Assault rifles, handguns and explosives were likewise seized.

The raid happened as law enforcement in France on Thursday detained five further people, among them a key figure, in connection with the recent audacious raid on the Louvre museum.

Many investigative personnel have been hunting four perpetrators who employed a truck with a hydraulic lift and cutting tools to access a gallery on the first floor at the prestigious institution on 19 October, making off with precious items estimated to be worth 88 million euros.

In another notable incident, thieves last month forced their way into the French capital's Natural History Museum, stealing gold samples worth over $1 million. A woman from China, aged 24 was arrested earlier this month in Barcelona in connection with the break-in, according to legal authorities.

This series of robberies has generated apprehension in France regarding insufficient protection at museums and other institutions containing precious artifacts.