Lyon — Six people armed with military-grade weapons used explosives to break into a gold refining laboratory in Lyon, slightly injuring five employees in the latest high-profile daytime heist to hit France.

The audacious raid in the eastern city took place on Thursday afternoon, with police quickly arresting the suspected perpetrators and recovering the loot estimated at 12 million euros (US$13.8 million), officials said.

Five employees of Laboratoires Pourquery were “slightly injured in the explosion” and three were taken to hospital for checks, the regional prefecture told AFP. Twenty-eight employees were present when the robbers struck.

The suspects, believed to be seasoned criminals, were detained shortly after in the neighbouring town of Venissieux, a source close to the case told

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