A large batch of hafnium was stolen at a factory in France

At the Framatome plant in the commune of Jarry (south-east of France) on the night of October 22, a major theft occurred: unknown persons stole several hundred kilograms of hafnium - refractory metal in demand in the aerospace and nuclear industry. The value of the stolen items is estimated at several million euros (according to radio Ici).

An employee of the night shift, working around the clock, accidentally encountered a group of intruders and took refuge at the security post. By the time the police arrived, the criminals had fled. The investigators believe that the thieves knew the internal layout of the plant well: they took several minutes to penetrate the desired area.

The incident provoked a reaction from trade unions: representatives met with the management of the enterprise and demanded to strengthen security measures, as well as temporarily cancel night shifts until the situation stabilizes.

It is noted that this is not the first such case: earlier theft of hafnium was recorded at other Framatome plants, in particular, in the commune of Sergi near Paris. In August, the head of one of the departments of the plant in Jarry was detained: 500,000 euros in cash and 150 kg of hafnium were found at his house. Investigators are now establishing who the batch of metal was intended for and in whose interests the employee acted.