Codenamed Cerberus, the system will form a "ring of steel around key ports" and analyse the routes used by smugglers to bring their deadly cargoes into the country. Created by the Home Office, Cerberus will provide police, the National Crime Agency and Border Force officials with crucial intelligence to intercept drugs being brought into Britain.

       Government plans seen by the Daily Express say: "We know that drugs can enter the country in a variety of ways, such as being hidden in freight containers, carried by individuals on passenger transportation, or via post and parcels.

       "We are working to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the risks that these modes present, including investing in systematic risk testing and analysis to direct workforce and assets to the right threats.

       "We are developing Cerberus, a new multi-mode data gathering, analysis and targeting system, which will contain all relevant border data by 2026, allowing us to use sophisticated analytics to build a rich intelligence picture of the traffic crossing the border.