Panama says it has arrested 59 people as part of an investigation into a drug-trafficking ring with links to Colombia's Marxist Farc rebels and Mexico's Sinaloa cartel.

The 18-month investigation into the organisation, which used Panama as the base for its smuggling operations, led to the seizure of drugs, cars, speed boats and cash, according to Panama's anti-drug investigator Javier Caraballo. He added that the majority of those arrested were Mexican or Colombian and many had entered the country as tourists, some using fake names.