Armed Robbery at Lyon Gold Laboratory: Latest in Series of High-Profile French Heists

Twenty-eight employees were present when the armed robbers attacked the facility. (Representative)

Six individuals wielding military-grade weapons utilized explosives to force entry into a gold refining laboratory in Lyon on Thursday, causing minor injuries to five employees in what marks another bold daytime heist in France.

The daring robbery in the eastern French city occurred Thursday afternoon, with law enforcement quickly apprehending the suspected criminals and recovering the stolen goods valued at approximately 12 million euros ($13.8 million), according to officials.

Five staff members of Pourquery Laboratories were "slightly injured in the explosion" with three requiring hospital evaluation, the regional prefecture informed AFP.

The facility had twenty-eight employees on site when the armed robbery took place.

Social media footage showed two individuals dressed in black exiting a white van, one carrying a ladder which they subsequently used to climb over the company's perimeter fence.

In the video recording, a witness—apparently employed at a neighboring business—can be heard contacting emergency services, reporting that he and colleagues had heard a "huge explosion" and that the robbers were armed with "Kalashnikovs".

Additional footage from another perspective shows an armed robber opening the back door of a white van, while an accomplice loads two black briefcases inside.

A local resident, who remained anonymous, also reported hearing a significant explosion.

"It was really impressive," the young woman stated in televised comments, adding that nearby residents were concerned about safety.

"It's not reassuring at all," she further remarked.

The suspects, believed to be experienced criminals, were detained shortly afterward in the neighboring town of Venissieux, according to a source close to the investigation who spoke to AFP.

A female accomplice who participated in the robbery was also arrested, a police source confirmed to AFP.

"Six people who used explosives in an attack on a precious metals company in Lyon were caught red-handed," Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated on X, commending officers for their "firmness, speed and control."

Authorities also seized assault rifles, handguns, and explosives during the operation.

The robbery coincided with French police arresting five additional individuals, including a primary suspect, in connection with this month's audacious Louvre museum heist.

Dozens of detectives have been searching for four thieves who employed a truck with a hydraulic lift and cutting equipment to break into a first-floor gallery at the museum on October 19, escaping with jewelry valued at an estimated $102 million.

In another high-profile case, thieves broke into Paris's Natural History Museum last month, stealing gold samples worth more than $1 million.

A 24-year-old Chinese woman was arrested earlier this month in Barcelona in connection with that break-in and theft, according to prosecutors.

This series of robberies has heightened concerns regarding inadequate security measures at museums and other locations housing valuable items.