Armed gang steals tens of kilos of gold in Besançon jewellery raid
Five masked, armed robbers raided a jewellery factory in Besançon, France, stealing tens of kilos of gold and striking an employee in the face.
Five masked and armed robbers wearing bulletproof vests raided a jewellery factory in Besancon, eastern France, on Tuesday morning, stealing between 20 and 50 kilograms of gold, a police source told Le Figaro.
The raid happened shortly after seven in the morning. The robbers fired several shots during the break-in, though "despite the use of firearms, there are no victims to report," Besancon mayor Ludovic Fagaut said in a Facebook post after visiting the scene.
Firefighters told AFP they treated one employee who was struck in the face. The robbers fled by scattering nails on the road, puncturing the tyres of a motorbike and a police vehicle that were pursuing them; their own getaway car, fitted with a flashing light, was later found burnt out, the police source said.
Besancon prosecutor Cedric Logelin said the case had been referred to France's national organised-crime prosecutor's office. The city's precious-metals industry, home to several companies that work gold and other metals, is regularly targeted by armed robbers, Le Figaro reported.
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What we know
- Official · police source Five armed, masked robbers raided a jewellery factory in Besancon on Tuesday morning, stealing 20 to 50kg of gold, a police source said.
- Official · mayor The robbers fired several shots; the mayor said no one was killed or seriously endangered despite the gunfire.
- 2+ outlets · Nice-Matin, Le Figaro An employee was struck in the face and treated by firefighters.
- 2+ outlets · Nice-Matin, Le Figaro The robbers scattered nails on the road while fleeing, puncturing the tyres of a motorbike and a pursuing police vehicle; their getaway car was found burnt out.
- Official · national organised-crime prosecutor's office The case has been referred to France's national organised-crime prosecutor's office.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Besancon's precious-metals industry, which includes several gold-working companies, is a recurring target for armed robbers, according to Le Figaro, making this the latest in a pattern of serious raids on the sector.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 1 countries.
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- How much gold was stolen?
- Between 20 and 50 kilograms, according to a police source cited by Le Figaro.
- Was anyone hurt?
- One employee was struck in the face and treated by firefighters; the mayor said there were no other victims despite shots being fired.
- How did the robbers escape?
- They scattered nails on the road, puncturing the tyres of a motorbike and a police vehicle, and abandoned a getaway car that was later found burnt out.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.