Six people robbed a precious metals processing laboratory at the Pourquery laboratory plant in Lyon, Le Progres reports.
The attack took place last Thursday, but was officially announced today. According to eyewitnesses, the thieves, who arrived in a car with flashing lights, broke two windows in the laboratory using explosives.
“The robbery lasted 7 minutes. They wore yellow armbands. There were several men, maybe three or four, with machine guns… We saw them loading their car, a small van, before fleeing“, the newspaper quoted eyewitnesses as saying.
According to local authorities, five employees of the plant were injured in the attack. The value of the stolen precious metals is estimated at 12 million euros.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunes later announced the arrest of all the attackers.
„Six people who used explosives in the attack on a precious metals factory in Lyon were arrested at the scene. „Thanks to the Lyon Rapid Intervention Brigade for their quick intervention“, the minister wrote on his X account.
The Lyon robbery took place just nine days after the infamous robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Thieves stole nine pieces of jewelry, including tiaras, earrings, necklaces and brooches, belonging to French queens and empresses. One of them, the damaged crown of Empress Eugenie de Montijo, was restored and returned to the museum. The damage from the robbery is estimated at 88 million euros.
According to Paris prosecutor Lor Beco, seven suspects have been arrested so far. Four have been charged and three have been released.