Besançon: 13 arrests after the armed robbery of a jewelry factory

Thirteen suspects were arrested in connection with the armed robbery of a jewelry factory on Tuesday in Besançon, the national anti-organized crime prosecutor's office (Pnaco) said on Wednesday, seized of the case and requested by AFP. The “investigations currently carried out have already made it possible to find firearms, gold and jewelry linked to the facts, and are currently being analyzed”, also specified this prosecution, confirming information from BFMTV.

The investigation is in the hands of the National Directorate of Judicial Police (DNPJ) and the Central Office for the Fight against Organized Crime (OCLCO). This heist allowed the criminals to seize several dozen kilos of gold, a police source said on Tuesday.

This armed robbery occurred around 7 a.m. Tuesday when five hooded criminals, armed and wearing bulletproof vests, burst into the factory, stealing 20 to 50 kilos of gold, according to the same source. They fired several shots. “Despite the use of firearms, no victims have been reported,” said the mayor of Besançon, Ludovic Fagaut, who visited the scene, in a message published on Facebook. However, the firefighters indicated that they had taken care of an employee who had been hit in the face.

The thieves fled by throwing nails onto the road, causing the tires of a motorcycle and a police vehicle to be punctured. Their vehicle, which was equipped with a flashing light, was found on fire, according to the police source. The goldsmithing sector is regularly targeted by criminals in Besançon, where several companies working with precious metals are located.