Starfield - Contraband Items Guide: How to Sell Contraband and Smuggle Items

How to Sell Contraband Items in Starfield

Contraband and Smuggling Overview

Smuggling contraband is one of the most prominent illicit activities in Starfield. Everything from illegal drugs to heretical books to harvested organs is considered contraband.

Contraband items are marked with a yellow marker next to their item name. They have a high sell value compared to items you steal or looted.

Planets or Systems that do not accept Contraband items

How to Sell Contraband Items

Sell contraband items to specific Space Stations

Go to the Den to sell contraband items

Travel to the Wolf System, close to Alpha Centuari, and proceed to the Den Space Station in Ctonia.

If you have a big amount of contraband, you can sell it up to your vendor credit limit, then take a 24-hour rest in a nearby chair to reset your vendor credit.

Sell contraband items to the Trade Authority

The Trade Authority also accepts contraband items. Because the Trade Authority has a large sum of money in their control, even high-priced contraband may be sold.

The contraband must be smuggled when attempting to sell them to Trade Authority. To smuggle, one must design a method to conceal goods from escort ship scanners.

To keep contraband from being scanned, stow it in the shield hold or install a scan jammer aboard the ship. If a scan detects contraband, you will be assaulted by an escort ship or, at worst, captured, and the illicit item will vanish.

Sell contraband items via Kiosk Board

You can sell illegal products through the Kiosk Terminal Board’s kiosk.

Because you have fewer credits than manned sellers, you cannot offer overpriced contraband.

How to Smuggle Contraband

Store items to the Shielded Cargo to avoid getting scanned

Storing the Contraband Items in the Shielded Cargo boosts your chances of evading the scans.

To boost the likelihood of successful smuggling, it is critical to maximize the load capacity of the Shield Hold while minimizing the overall weight of contraband being smuggled.

Learn and master the Deception skill

The social skill “Deception” is useful in smuggling since it inhibits escort ships’ scanning capabilities by up to 50%.

Even rank 1 Cunning can lower scanning ability by 10%, thus if you’re going to smuggle, you should learn at least level 1.

Starfield Best Skills to Get

Install a Scan Jammer

Installing a scan jammer on your spacecraft improves your chances of success by disguising contraband from scanning.

How to get a Shield Cargo Hold

Buy from Ron of the Red Mile club

Ron of the Red Mile club sells Shield Cargo Holds. He is located in Polymer III of the Polymer System.

This, however, needs you to join the Crimson Fleet. Shielded Cargo Holds may be purchased from Crimson Fleet’s subterranean traders if you join the faction.

Buy from Lon Anderssen of the Porrima System

Lon Anderssen, the Rare Parts dealer, can sell a Shielded Cargo Hold. The seller can be found in the planet Porrima II of the Porrima System.

What are Contraband Items?

Contraband in Starfield refers to illegal items that are subject to a crackdown.

Prohibited items are items that have been identified as illegal throughout the manned star system. Once you’re in orbit, planetary security will scan your ship to see if it is carrying contraband.

If it is discovered that someone on the ship has contraband or is carrying contraband on the ship, security will try to arrest them.
However, there is also a way to smuggle contraband through the scan. Please read the “Smuggling” section for more information

If you see a red icon next to the item name when you look at it in the world, it means that the item has an owner.

Stolen items will have the same red icon when they appear in your inventory. Contraband has a yellow icon when viewed in your inventory or in the world

Carrying contraband or stolen items is illegal. If you are arrested for any crime, any contraband or stolen items in your possession will be confiscated and will disappear from your possession.

What is Smuggling?

In Starfield, smuggling refers to introducing illicit commodities known as contraband to the planet or system.

Escort ships will regularly scan for contraband. If they are scanned and find contraband, they will try to arrest or attack you.

If your belongings contain contraband, they will always be detected. To increase the success rate of smuggling, place contraband in a shielded cargo hold. The load capacity of shield cargo can be checked in the ship overview in the ship menu.

There are many ways to evade escort ship scanning and increase the success rate of smuggling:

• Carry a small amount of contraband.
• Install a scan jammer.
• Ensure sufficient load capacity of shielded cargo for the total weight of contraband. The less free the load, the higher the probability of being detected by the scan.

Shield cargo and scan jammers can be bought rarely, but you can find or rob a ship with either or both.

Other Ship-related Guides

Read our guide below for an overview and guidance on Ship Building and Customizations:

Starfield Ship Building and Customization Guide

Read on for an overview and guide to purchasing Ship Modules or Parts:

Starfield Ship Module Buying Guide

Read on for an overview and guide to improving your ship during the early game:

Starfield Ship Early Game Ship Building Guide

Read on for an overview and guide to robbing and stealing from enemy ships:

Starfield Ship Robbery and Stealing Guide

Other Starfield Guides

Starfield Walkthrough

Starfield Factions Missions

Starfield Useful Guides

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