Six Suspects Apprehended Following €12 Million Armed Raid on Precious Metals Facility in France

A group of six individuals equipped with assault rifles and handguns employed explosives to breach the security of a precious metals processing plant located in the city of Lyon, resulting in minor injuries to five staff members during described as the newest significant daylight theft to affect the nation.

The daring raid was carried out on the afternoon of Thursday, with police forces quickly arresting the alleged criminals and securing the stolen items assessed at around 12 million euros (£10.5 million), according to officials.

Five staff members of the precious metals facility received light wounds as a result of the detonation, and three of them were taken to a medical facility for evaluation, according to regional authorities. Twenty-eight employees were at the location when the thieves struck.

The individuals, believed to be seasoned offenders, were taken into custody soon afterwards in the adjacent municipality of the town of Vénissieux, a source close to the investigation stated.

A female accomplice involved in the raid was also apprehended, officers confirmed.

“Six people who employed explosive devices in an attack on a precious metals company in the Lyon area were arrested at the scene,” France's security official stated online, praising officers for their “firmness, rapid response and command”.

High-caliber firearms, handguns and detonation devices were also confiscated.

The heist took place as law enforcement in France on Thursday detained five further people, among them a key figure, in relation to the bold theft at the Louvre.

Dozens of investigators have been hunting four thieves who utilized a lorry with a hydraulic lift and cutting tools to breach a first-floor gallery at the museum on 19 October, making off with precious items estimated to be worth €88M.

In another notable incident, robbers the previous month broke 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 in regarding the theft, officials confirmed.

This series of robberies has sparked worry in the country regarding lax security at museums and various establishments housing valuable items.