Beneath the captivating facade of Starfield’s sprawling universe lies a shadowy realm of criminality and illicit activities. As you embark on your journey through Starfield, you will encounter various valuable items, including illegal contraband materials. Smuggling these goodies can earn you money and quickly upgrade your weapons and ships, granting you an irresistible edge over your enemies within the game.
However, in this high-stakes game of risk and reward, caution is your closest ally. The consequences of a slip-up are severe, as even a single misstep can lead to a swift arrest. So, tread carefully for the criminal path is as perilous as it is exciting.
Here is a guide on smuggling contraband without getting caught by security.
What is Contraband?
Contraband is a unique, valuable item in Starfield, encompassing stolen goods and illicitly harvested human organs that are illegal to possess on your player or within your ship. Security will scan your ship for contraband and will not grant you landing clearance until the scanning process is completed. Should contraband be discovered during the scan, you may face arrest, fines, and the confiscation of the contraband.
Where to Obtain Contraband?
Contraband can be acquired through looting as you explore various locations or by completing story-related missions. Typically, it can be found in space pirate outposts, such as abandoned mining facilities and ships.
How to Smuggle Contraband?
To successfully smuggle contraband, you must equip a ship with shielded cargo holds, rather than the standard cargo holds. Moreover, it is crucial not to carry contraband in your inventory because you will surely get caught with contraband!
Obtain Shielded Cargo
Visit the Red Mile on Porrima III within the Porimma System and locate Lon Anderssen, the ship technician, at the front entrance. Initiate a conversation with him to purchase shielded cargo.
Modify Your Ship to Add Shielded Cargo
You can either directly access shipbuilding through Lon or navigate your ship and access the shipyard menu. Select the ‘Add’ option and, under the Cargo Category, choose the cargo labeled as shielded cargo. Place them on the sides of your ship. If you already have existing cargo, simply remove them and replace them with shielded cargo.
Store Contraband in Your Ship’s Storage
After obtaining contraband, go onto your ship and store the items in your ship’s shielded cargo.
Increase Your Chances of Success
When you undergo contraband scans while traveling to another planet, your success rate depends on the capacity of your shielded cargo in comparison to the quantity of contraband you are carrying. Therefore, a higher shielded cargo capacity and a lower amount of contraband increase your chances of successfully smuggling it. Additionally, investing in skills like Deception and Payloads will enhance your success rates in smuggling.
Where to Sell Contraband?
Once you’ve safely landed on a planet with your smuggled contraband, it’s time to trade these items for profit. Locate a Trade Authority vendor at the following locations:
- New Atlantis, Jemison (Alpha Centauri System)
- The Den (Wolf System)
- Cydonia, Mars (Sol System)
- Neon, Volii Alpha (Volii System)
- Akila City, Akila (Cheyenne System)
Interact with the NPCs to access the selling menu and offer your contraband items, such as harvested organs, for sale. Occasionally, vendors may run out of credits, requiring you to refresh their inventory. To do this, find a chair, sit for 24-48 local hours (roughly 30 seconds in-game), and return to the vendors to replenish their credits.
Note that Trade Authorities do not offer the best prices for contraband. There are undisclosed methods for obtaining the best prices for contraband, and this guide will be updated to include them soon.
Congratulations! With your newfound expertise in smuggling contraband without getting caught, you’ve become a true master of the criminal underworld in Starfield.
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