About 1,000 police officers were involved in the operation, which was mounted in the area around Villiers-le-Bel, some 20km (12 miles) north of Paris.
The riots last November had taken place in Paris's mainly immigrant suburban districts following the deaths of two teenagers who were killed in a crash with a police car.
Over 100 policemen who were called in to deal with the riots were injured and some of these were serious injuries.
Police gave out leaflets in December in the suburb where the trouble started asking for witnesses to come forward and promising rewards of up to several thousand euros.
Earlier this year, French President Nicolas Sarkozy revealed a three-year plan to make use of 4,000 more police and a half-billion euro (£375m) aid package to help tackle problems in the troubled suburbs.
