Six people armed with military-grade weapons have 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.

Axar.az reports, citing Guardian, the audacious raid took place on Thursday afternoon, with police quickly arresting the suspected perpetrators and recovering the loot estimated to be worth €12m (£10.5m), officials said.

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

The suspects, believed to be seasoned criminals, were detained shortly afterwards in the neighbouring town of Vénissieux, a source close to the case said.

A woman, an accomplice who took part in the robbery, was also arrested, a police source said.

“Six people who used explosives in an attack on a precious metals company in Lyon were caught red-handed,” the French interior minister, Laurent Nunez, said on X, praising officers for their “firmness, speed and control”.

Assault rifles, handguns and explosives were also seized.