In brief
In a second significant theft in France, thieves targeted the Pourquery Laboratories in Lyon, using explosives to steal gold worth €12 million. The incident led to the arrest of six suspects, with authorities recovering the stolen goods. This brazen robbery comes on the heels of another theft at the Louvre Museum. Witnesses describe the explosive entry, and police report that five refinery employees were injured during the robbery.
Six suspects have been arrested near the French city of Lyon in connection with the country's latest brazen heist.
Thieves used explosives to break into a precious metals refinery on Thursday before making off with the loot, which was mostly gold and worth €12m (£10.5m, $13.8m).
Following a chase, police caught the suspects and recovered the haul, officials said.
The heist came after five more people were arrested over a theft at the Louvre Museum in Paris earlier this month.
In the Lyon incident, footage posted on social media by local residents revealed alarming scenes, including two men near a white van. One suspect was filmed placing a ladder over the company's fence before scaling it.
Another video depicted a robber carrying a weapon while others loaded briefcases into the van.
An unnamed neighbour told AFP news agency she heard a significant explosion. It was really impressive, she described.
Five employees of the firm Pourquery Laboratories suffered minor injuries in the explosion, officials told AFP.
A woman was among those detained after the chase. Assault rifles and explosives were also seized by police.
Meanwhile, the arrests related to the Louvre theft have increased the total number of detainees to seven. On 19 October, suspects used a mechanical lift to gain access to the museum's Gallery of Apollo in broad daylight.
They cracked open display cases housing crown jewels with a disc cutter and made off with items worth €88m (£76m; $102m).
Authorities report that those arrested include three of the thieves, but officers are still hunting for the fourth.
