How to Smuggle and Where to Sell Contraband in Starfield

In many Bethesda games, you cannot sell stolen items marked with a special icon. In Starfield, a new mechanic related to contraband cargo has been introduced. It can be sold to regular merchants, but reaching them might be challenging. This guide will tell you where to look for contraband, how to profitably sell it, and how to avoid trouble with the law enforcement.

Keep in mind that upon arriving at any major city, your ship will be scanned. If you have contraband on board but lack special equipment, all stolen goods will be confiscated, and you will be fined or sentenced to prison time.

Contraband is marked with a special symbol. If, during your exploration of planets, you find an item with a yellow icon, do not rush to one of the major cities.

If you plan to visit a large city but cannot yet safely transport contraband cargo, get rid of it in advance. We recommend not throwing away valuable goods, but selling them in sectors where ship scanning is not conducted. For example, you can head to the space station The Den, located in the star system Wolf.

Check the left side of the station and find the Trade Authority store. There you can sell the contraband. But keep in mind that the seller may run out of money. To circumvent this restriction, you can install the corresponding modification for the PC version of Starfield. Or simply wait 24 hours on a chair in front of the store.

Prices for contraband will vary depending on the seller. The place we indicated on the map above is one of the easiest for disposing of illegal goods.

Upon receiving any illegal cargo for the first time, you will be able to track its price in your inventory. Surely, players will be surprised when they deliver the goods to a trader, and its value is reduced several times. This is normal, as merchants are reluctant to buy prohibited items, thereby reducing their value.

For example, stolen artworks, priced at 15,600 credits, can be sold for just 2,187 credits, which is 7 times less than the real value. To make more money, level up the Commerce skill. There are simply no other ways to sell contraband for full price.

As you explore the open world of the game, you will encounter contraband cargo in various places. First and foremost, search abandoned outposts and carefully examine hidden nooks of inhabited bases. For example, we were lucky to find some prohibited items in the Olympus system, at the Almagest station orbiting the planet Nesoi.

If you want to peacefully visit large cities with contraband cargo on board, you will need at least one shielded compartment for your ship. They are sold by merchant Lona Anderson on the planet Porrima III in the Porrima system. Here you can also purchase a ship with an integrated shielded compartment.

However, in the early stages of the game, it is unwise to make such costly purchases. You can try to simply steal a ship from the Crimson Fleet or join this organization. Also, note that after completing the Starfield story campaign, you will be given a starship with a shielded cargo compartment.

To join the Crimson Fleet, simply commit a theft and get caught by the local police. After that, you will be recruited to infiltrate the criminals' ranks. However, you can join them and engage in contraband transportation. In large cities, representatives of the Trade Authority deal with the purchase of stolen goods.

Note: Shielding only reduces the chance of contraband detection. It depends on the percentage of compartment load. The less free space, the higher the risk of detection. This value can be reduced with an additional Scan Jammer.

You can also purchase it from Lona Anderson from Porrima III, as mentioned above. There is also a skill called Deception in the character progression menu, which also reduces the likelihood of contraband detection. But we do not recommend spending precious experience points on it.

Note: It is important that your character's inventory does not contain contraband. Move it to the shielded compartment or the cargo hold of the unique vessel Starborn Guardian, otherwise, it will definitely be detected.

Even if you get caught transporting contraband, you have the opportunity to get your goods back. They will be hidden in a box, either in the jail or in the city's security service building. Find the container and search it. But be aware that it may be locked with an Expert or Master level lock. The Negotiation skill, which allows for bribing, will also help you.