If you are wondering how to smuggle and sell contraband in Starfield, look no further as we have you covered!
Bethesda’s latest RPG has players flying around the universe, completing missions, and getting their hands on some valuable loot.
However, most Solar Systems and planets will not allow you to bring certain items into their atmosphere, labeling them contraband. In these instances, you must smuggle or sell your contraband in Starfield to avoid being fined a bunch of credits.
How to Sell Contraband in Starfield
Players must head to a Trade Authority building to sell contraband in Starfield. These can be found at:
- Akila City, Akila – Located Behind GalBank
- Cydonia, Mars – Located in the Central Hub
- Neon, Volii Alpha – Located on the left-hand side when entering Neon
- New Atlantis – Located in The Well, use the elevator in the MAST District train station
- The Den, Wolf Star – Located in the central area and on the left-hand side to find the stall.
The vendors in these locations will purchase your items with no hesitation or questions asked, although they only have a limited amount of credits on them.
This means they do not have enough credits to buy all your items. As another note, the Trade Authority Kiosks will not accept contraband, so you must visit a building.
In Starfield, you can also randomly pass Trade Authority ships. If you find one of these, you can dock onto the ship and go aboard to sell your items.
This means you won’t run into trouble when your cargo gets scanned upon entering a Solar System.
How to Smuggle Contraband in Starfield
The best way to smuggle contraband in Starfield is to get a Shielded Cargo Hold. These special Cargo Holds can shield you from contraband scans, but they do not work 100% of the time.
Players can acquire Shielded Cargo holds by:
- Stealing a ship that has one.
- Purchasing from a Ship Part Vendor.
Due to their illegal nature, most vendors will not sell you a Shielded Cargo Hold, so you must turn to a black-market seller.
The easiest way to contact one is by committing crimes until the UC Vigilance contacts you to join. After joining, follow the questline, and you will be introduced to many sellers on the Crimson Fleet base, The Key.
Ways to Reduce Being Caught Smuggling Contraband
To further reduce your chances of getting caught, we recommend having a smaller amount of contraband in your Cargo Hold compared to your overall capacity.
For example, if your contraband takes up 25% of your cargo space, you are more likely to go undetected than if 100% of the items in your hold are contraband.
Players can also use the following to reduce their chances of getting caught:
- Scan Jammers
- Acquire the Deception skill
You can purchase a Scan Jammer by visiting Lon Anderssen at the Red Mile, situated on Porrima III within the Porrima system.
To initiate the purchase, approach Lon and select the option “I’d like to view and modify my ships.” Afterward, head to the Ship Builder menu and select the “Add” option.
You will find the Scan Jammer under the “Equipment” category. Depending on the level of jammer you purchase, you will receive between a 10% and 50% chance of evading scans.
