Six Suspects Apprehended Following €12 Million Robbery on Precious Metals Facility in the French Republic
A team of six suspects carrying military-grade weapons used explosive devices to breach the security of a gold treatment facility located in Lyon, slightly injuring five staff members during what appears to be the most recent prominent broad daylight robbery to affect the nation.
The audacious robbery occurred on Thursday late morning, with law enforcement authorities rapidly detaining the alleged criminals and retrieving the loot estimated to be worth €12 million (£10.5 million), as stated by authorities.
Five employees of the gold refining company sustained minor injuries due to the explosion, and three individuals required hospital checks for examination, according to regional authorities. Twenty-eight workers were at the location when the robbers attacked.
Those arrested, thought to be seasoned offenders, were taken into custody shortly after the incident in the nearby town of Vénissieux, authorities revealed.
A female accomplice who took part in the raid was also apprehended, officers confirmed.
“Six people who employed explosive devices in an assault targeting a gold refining facility in the Lyon area were apprehended red-handed,” France's security official declared on social media, praising officers for their “firmness, rapid response and command”.
Assault rifles, handguns and explosives were recovered as well.
The raid happened as authorities on Thursday arrested five more suspects, including a primary suspect, in connection with the recent audacious Louvre museum robbery.
Numerous detectives have been hunting four robbers who utilized a lorry with a hydraulic lift and cutting equipment to break into an upper-level exhibition space at the prestigious institution on the nineteenth of October, fleeing with precious items estimated to be worth €88 million.
In a separate high-profile case, thieves last month entered illegally the Parisian museum of natural history, stealing gold samples estimated at exceeding $1M. A woman from China, aged 24 was taken into custody recently in the city of Barcelona in regarding the theft, officials confirmed.
The string of thefts has sparked worry in the nation regarding insufficient protection at museums and various establishments housing valuable items.