Starfield Contraband Guide

Posted: 14th Sep 2023 by Team SuperCheats

Contraband in Starfield refers to anything illegal to possess or trade in a given location. It basically means you have managed to get your hands on some outlawed items or substances. You will know when you are in possession of contraband because it will appear with a yellow marker in your inventory which helps you to easily track anything you need to sell on the black market. This Starfield Contraband Guide will help you with everything you need to know about contraband and smuggling it.

Where to Sell Contraband in Starfield

Contraband in Starfield can be sold at any Trade Authority shop or kiosk. Any star system controlled by the United Colonies or Freestar Collective will scan your ship for contraband on arrival which means there is a chance you will be discovered smuggling. There are things you can do to help protect yourself from these scans. The best of which is to sell your contraband at the Den space station in the Wolf System which doesn't require a scan to enter.

• The Den

  The Den is a space station that can be found in the Wolf System. Dock there and then speak to the trader in the Trade Authority room behind the wall on the left as you enter the station. You will be able to sell your contraband items here until you run out of stock, or the trader runs out of credits to give you. Listed below are other places in Starfield where you may want to consider going to sell contraband. The Key, in the Kryx System is the only one where you won't be scanned.

  - The Key, Kryx System

  - Neon, Volii Alpha

  - New Atlantis, Jemison

  - Cydonia, Mars

  - Akila City, Akila

The moment you come into possession of any type of contraband in Starfield you should immediately look to offload the illicit items in question by selling them. If you don't you are taking the risk of being caught in possession of contraband if you go to other star systems in the interim.

Contraband Items in Starfield

Any contraband items in Starfield that you have in your possession will show up in your inventory or cargo hold with a yellow icon next to them, denoting that they are illegal contraband. The list below are all known contraband items in Starfield and their value on the black market:

• Aurora

  Value: 760

  Mass: 0.1

  Value/Mass: 7600

• Harvested Organs

  Value: 13500

  Mass: 3

  Value/Mass: 4500

• Mech Components

  Value: 12290

  Mass: 3.8

  Value/Mass: 3234

• Sentient AI Adapters

  Value: 14840

  Mass: 2.5

  Value/Mass: 5936

• Stolen Artwork

  Value: 15600

  Mass: 3

  Value/Mass: 5200

• Va'Ruun Heretic Writings

  Value: 8190

  Mass: 2

  Value/Mass: 4095

• Xenowarfare Tech

  Value: 16110

  Mass: 2.5

  Value/Mass: 6444

Keep in mind that the different types of contraband in Starfield will vary by location and the penalties for being caught with it will differ. The fine you can expect to pay if you are caught and arrested will depend on the contraband's value.

Smuggling Contraband

Although you can earn a lot of extra credits in Starfield smuggling Contraband you can also get into a lot of trouble and face serious consequences if you get caught selling or harboring any prohibited items. The amount of credits you will receive for contraband in Starfield varies as it is based on supply and demand.

Contraband Scan

Your ship will be subjected to a scan for contraband whenever you enter patrolled, faction-controlled areas such as cities or space stations. Trying to resist this scan is not advised as it just leads to consequences that will be severe. Once the authorities have boarded your ship they will confiscate any stolen loot or anything considered contraband. Stolen loot will be denoted in your inventory by a red marker.

Hiding Contraband in Starfield

The best place to temporarily hide contraband is an Outpost that you own in a star system that isn't owned by a major faction. This is important as it will mean you will not need to undergo a scan on arrival. If you have the Starfield Dream Home trait you can store contraband at your house and not have to worry about being subjected to scanning.

Smuggling Contraband

There are several things that you can do in Starfield to increase your chances of smuggling contraband. These include improving your Deception skill, upgrading your ship with a shielded cargo hold, and getting a scam jammer. One thing you must never do is keep contraband on your person as this will result in a 100% chance of being caught smuggling when scanned by a faction ship.

Getting Caught Smuggling

If you are caught trying to smuggle contraband you will be arrested on the spot. You then have three options, you can pay the fine, serve your jail sentence, or try to bribe the authorities. Regardless of what option you decide on you will still lose all contraband in your inventory and your ship storage.

Where to Sell Contraband

The video below shows you where to sell Contraband in Starfield so you make lots of money. The video also shows you where to get and sell Contraband and stolen items.

Where to Sell Contraband in Starfield

Take a look at our Starfield Cheats and Tips guide to get help progressing in the game.