(BBC) The UK and six other nations are launching a fresh effort to intercept drug smuggling runs across the Atlantic into Europe from Latin America.
A special centre is being opened in Portugal to co-ordinate rapid response naval operations against the trade.
A senior officer from Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency ( Soca ) has been named the operation's first director.
Ministers hope the special naval operations centre will mean less cocaine reaches British drugs markets.
Officials say the amount of cocaine being smuggled into Europe has been rising - but the Lisbon-based Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre - Narcotics (MAOC-N) has been set up for a new concerted continental effort against Latin America-based producers.
The operations centre co-ordinates drug smuggling intelligence and vessels from each country's navy which are patrolling waters between South Africa and the Norwegian Sea.
Officers at the centre take decisions on which vessels from the partner nations are best placed to intercept a suspected cocaine shipment.
The centre is jointly run by the UK, Portugal, Spain, the Irish Republic, France, the Netherlands and Italy but will also include US military officers linked to naval operations in the Caribbean.
While the operation is being officially launched on Sunday, its officers have already run 22 operations since April, leading to 10 seizures totalling more than 10 tonnes , say officials.
In June intelligence gathered by British officials led to the French Navy intercepting a Brazilian vessel carrying 840kg of cocaine.