Lyon police carried out a flawless operation on Thursday, October 30. In the true tradition of the anti-gang brigade, they caught and arrested six suspects red-handed, recovering the entire haul within an hour of the explosive attack on a precious metals processing company. Four days later, during a brief press conference, Thierry Dran, the Lyon public prosecutor, detailed the operation that prevented the theft of 306 kilograms of gold, valued at €28 million.
The magistrate stated that the five alleged members of the commando, along with a woman present at the time of their arrest in an apartment in Vénissieux in Lyon’s metropolitan area, had been charged with criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, aggravated theft, handling stolen goods and destruction by dangerous means, all as part of an organized gang. In addition to recovering the entire haul, investigators discovered an «arsenal» during search and seizure operations. Three Kalashnikov-type assault rifles, four automatic pistols, two shotguns, explosives and equipment such as flashing lights and forged documents were found in several of the gang’s hideouts in Décines-Charpieu, Jonage and Bron, towns in the eastern suburbs of Lyon. Police also found €68,000 in cash.
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