Starfield How to Smuggle Contraband

In Starfield you can smuggle Contraband and sell it for a lot of credits. Smuggling Contraband also unlocks the “I Use Them For Smuggling” Achievement.

Step 1: Where to find Contraband

Contraband are items with a yellow icon (not red like stolen items). These are extremely rare, they are usually in well-protected and hidden places found at points of interest during planet exploration. For example, “Cryo Lab” points of interest tend to have them in a Master-locked Contraband Cache. You should buy the Tech Skill “Security” (Rank 3) to open Master Locks, it’s mandatory for some Contraband.

Here’s an example of a Contraband Cache at a Cryo Lab, see the yellow icon next to the item name:

Here are examples of other Contraband pieces in the inventory (see yellow icon):

Because all Landing Sites in the game are procedurally generated / random for every player. You’ll have to explore a bunch of points of interest thoroughly until you come across an item with a yellow icon next to its name. But you can also keep looking for “Cryo Lab” landing sites (again, random which planets have these) and check if one of them has Contraband in a chest.

Guaranteed Fixed Location: For the purpose of the “I Use Them For Smuggling” achievement, you can simply buy Contraband from the barkeeper in the Neon Core nightclub. Go to System: Volii > Planet: Volii Alpha > Landing Site: Neon Core > from where you spawn turn around and run to the end of the street, go upstairs into the nightclub. Talk to the barkeeper inside and ask to see the menu, he sells a contraband called “Aurora”.

Step 2: Smuggle Contraband

In order to Smuggle Contraband you must get it past security scanners. Whenever you fast travel to a populated planet, there will be security scanning your spaceship for Contraband. If they scan you there’s a chance they find the Contraband, but there are a few ways you can smuggle it past security:

• Install one or multiple “Shielded Cargo Hold” in your spaceship. These can be bought from the Crimson Fleet service technician found in Star System: Kryx > Space Station: The Key. You must first join this faction, see How to Join Crimson Fleet. Ask to modify your ship and enter the Ship Builder > Add Part > Cargo > look for one that has the word “Shielded” in its name. The item description will also say that this helps smuggle contraband past the authorities. Combine it with a “Scan Jammer”, see the next point. Make sure you transfer the Contraband from your inventory to your ship’s Cargo Hold before traveling anywhere (see How to place items in Cargo Hold). To make the effect stronger, install multiple Shielded Cargo Holds. The smaller the amount of Contraband you carry compared to your total Shielded Cargo Hold Capacity, the better the chance it won’t be detected by scanners.
  
• Install one or multiple “Scan Jammer” in your spaceship. This is also available from the Crimson Fleet service technician found in Star System: Kryx > Space Station: The Key. You must first join this faction, see How to Join Crimson Fleet. Ask to modify your ship and enter the Ship Builder > Add Part > Equipment > Scan Jammer. Higher grade Scan Jammers required the “Ship Design” Skill (Tech skill tree). Depending on which one you buy it adds a 10% / 30% / 50% chance for contraband to not be detected. You can install multiple Scan Jammers on the same ship (e.g. 2 x 50% jammers) to make the effect stronger. When combined with a Shielded Cargo Hold it further increases the chance to avoid detection.
  
• Buy and upgrade the social skill “Deception“. At Rank 4 it gives a 50% chance to avoid detection when smuggling Contraband. Combined with the best Scan Jammer that also gives 50% chance to avoid detection and a Shielded Cargo Hold, you will effectively have 100% chance to avoid detection.
  

Again, remember to transfer the Contraband from your own inventory to your ship’s Shielded Cargo Hold (interact with the wall panel in Cockpit next to pilot seat to access Cargo Hold).

Fly to a populated planet, for example to System: Alpha Centauri > Planet: Jemison, and wait for security to scan you. If they don’t find the Cargo you will successfully have “smuggled” it.

Step 3: Sell Contraband

Contraband can be sold to the Crimson Fleet found in Star System: Kryx > Space Station: The Key. You must first join this faction, see How to Join Crimson Fleet.

It can also be sold to the vendor in System: Wolf (from Alpha Centauri it’s the next start to the top right) > Space Station: The End (next to Planet: Chthonia).

Achievement: I Use Them For Smuggling – Easy Method

1. Install a Shielded Cargo Hold & Scan Jammer as described above. Also buy social skill “Deception”.
2. Buy the “Aurora” Contraband from the nightclub barkeeper in Neon Core (System: Volii > Planet: Volii Alpha > Landing Site: Neon Core > from where you spawn turn around and go to end of street upstairs to enter nightclub). When talking to the barkeeper ask to see the menu and look for the Aurora item with yellow icon. Buy it. This is the easiest option because it’s a guaranteed way to get Contraband without any searching.
3. Walk back to your ship. On your way out of town you will be stopped by police, pick the last dialogue “You won’t take me alive” and run past them (best to make a backup save beforehand because they will turn hostile on you).
4. Enter your ship, interact with Cargo Hold to store the contraband (don’t keep it in your personal inventory). Make a Quicksave.
5. Fast travel to System: Alpha Centauri > Planet: Jemison. Upon arriving you will be scanned. It will show the % Scan Evasion Chance on the screen. If you installed the Shielded Cargo Hold correctly and put the Contraband in it, you have a chance to successfully evade the scan. If they catch you, reload the quicksave and retry until you get lucky.

That’s all there is to Contraband in Starfield.

For more Starfield guides check out Starfield Wiki & Strategy Guide.