An operation involving more than 300 officers in several areas of southwestern France and the Paris region had dismantled a "very structured, professional" operation, a police spokesman said today.
Police believe the gang has been targeting some of the region's most prestigious properties since June and some of the men detained are well known to the authorities, he added.
The properties targeted by the thieves have not been divulged. Producers are extremely sensitive about the security of their stocks and about any lapse which would offer an opportunity for the production of counterfeit bottles.