A group of armed robbers raided a glass factory in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan in the early morning hours on Sunday, Dec 25, making off with platinum worth 180 million rubles ($5.7 million), police said.

According to RIA Novosti, the 10 masked perpetrators, armed with automatic weapons and pistols, bound and gagged the four night watchmen at Steklovolokno OJSC and stole 42 platinum sheets used in the factory's glass molding forms. Each of the sheets weighs about 4 kilograms.

Investigation has been launched.