Five hooded and heavily armed individuals broke in at dawn on Tuesday, November 3, at a plant in Besançon (Doubs) that manufactures precious metals for the jewelry trade, and stole between 20 and 50 kilograms of gold. The same gang is suspected of having attempted, in December 2025, to rob a factory located on the same street, this time using explosives. That earlier incident sheds light on investigators’ interest in this part of Besançon.
The appearance of the thirteen suspects before an investigating judge in Paris, four days after the events, marks the opening of the judicial phase. Suspicions concern their involvement in the November 3 theft, while investigators continue working on the group’s route and on the attempt attributed to December 2025.
As they left the scene, the robbers threw nails onto the roadway to hinder any pursuit. Their vehicle, set on fire, was found a few hours later in a neighborhood of Besançon.
Investigators are working to reconstruct the offenders’ movements after the heist. This reconstruction is intended to link the getaway, the burned vehicle, and the individuals now brought before the courts.
The team had been under surveillance for several months. The investigation concerns a group already in the sights of the authorities, not an isolated act.
On Saturday, November 7, at the Paris court, thirteen suspects appeared before an investigating judge. Investigators suspect them of being the perpetrators of this robbery.
The targeted company specializes in jewelry and the processing of precious metals. The haul is estimated at between 20 and 50 kilograms of gold, that is, several dozen kilograms.
According to the information gathered, an employee was assaulted inside the site. Several gunshots were fired during the operation.