Smuggling

One of Captain Jack Sparrow's crimes included smuggling, making him the most notorious smuggler in the Caribbean.

"After a time, the smuggling became a bit more profitable... I took a larger share... and the Bride just became my cover. We branched out into other... areas... of... activity."

―Laura Smith to Arabella Smith

Smuggling was the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations where prohibited. An individual who dealt with or conducted acts of smuggling was called a smuggler. There were various motivations to smuggle, including the participation in illegal trade, contraband, heists, kidnapping, prostitution, human trafficking for slavery, import and export restrictions, or the theft of the items being smuggled.

During the Golden Age of Piracy, there were various smugglers' hideouts in the Caribbean, including Rumrunner's Isle and Smuggler's Notch. Notable smugglers included pirate captains like Left-Foot Louis, Laura Smith, Edward Teague, and Jack Sparrow.

History

"Well, I overheard this one smuggler telling another how he was havin' a spot of trouble getting his rum from Rumrunner's Island to Port Royal. He was always caught, and his barrels seized, no matter what he did. And a fierce battle always ensued—he lost more employees that way, if you take my drift. He even tried dressing as a lady once, all in skirts and finery, but he never could fool the authorities."

―Laura Smith to Arabella Smith

Although looting was the primary source of a pirate's income, many pirates were also skilled smugglers. To avoid the tax collectors while docking in some civilized port, pirates would often stash their treasure as ballast in the hold, conceal it behind false panels in the hull, inside the commode, or at the bottom of a wormy barrel of hardtack.

Captain Laura Smith was a well-known smuggler on the Seven Seas.

The infamous pirate Left-Foot Louis attempted to smuggle his rum from Rumrunner's Island to Port Royal, but he was always caught and his barrels seized. He even attempted to dress as a lady, but he could not fool the Navy. His problems were solved when he was approached by Laura Smith, the owner of the Faithful Bride tavern in Tortuga, and they struck a partnership. Every new moon, when the sea and night were dark, she boarded his ship, the Cutlass, and if they were stopped by the authorities, she would act all high-falutin' about them stopping a lady about her business. After some time Louis attempted to double-cross Laura, but she defeated him in a sword duel, took all the money, and escaped aboard a special ship called the Fleur de la Mort. Laura continued with her illegal activities, eventually becoming a well-known smuggler on the Seven Seas, with liaisons and connections everywhere from the Orient to the Outer Hebrides.

Even though smuggling was strictly forbidden, some of the officers of the East India Trading Company occasionally engaged in it. While he sailed as an honest merchant seaman for the East India Company, Jack Sparrow had several secret compartments in the captain's cabin of his ship, the Wicked Wench, though he wasn't planning on engaging in any smuggling activities. After turning to a life of piracy, Jack did include smuggling among his many crimes. Jack's father Captain Edward Teague was also guilty of smuggling, for which he was tried and sentenced to death by hanging by Admiral Lawrence Norrington of the British Royal Navy. The Pirate Lord of the Pacific Ocean, Mistress Ching, was a profiteer of smuggled trade goods between Japan and China.

The crew of the Henrietta loads up contraband goods.

In exchange for a share of a ship's cargo, Port Royal's corrupt customs officials would turn their backs while smugglers landed their goods—free of import duty. Then the smugglers would load up with rum and sugar to smuggle back to America. Anamaria's family, led by her mother, engaged in smuggling activities out of Port Royal, though they prefered to be called respectable traders.

Notable smugglers

• Fernando
• Left-Foot Louis
• Montanari
• Laura Smith
• Jack Sparrow
• Edward Teague

Behind the scenes

• Laffite's Landing in Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland was named after Jean Lafitte, a 19th century French-American pirate whose reputation grew around his years of smuggling in Barataria Bay and socializing in New Orleans, with "smuggler" being first detailed in the 1974 souvenir book. Smuggling would make its first appearance in the 2003 video game Pirates of the Caribbean.

Appearances

• Pirates of the Caribbean (2003 video game) (First appearance)
• Jack Sparrow: Silver (Mentioned only)
• Jack Sparrow: City of Gold (Mentioned only)
• Jack Sparrow: Sins of the Father (Mentioned only)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
  • Fluch der Karibik (Mentioned only)
• Smoke on the Water (Mentioned only)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)

Sources

• Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Story of the Robust Adventure in Disneyland and Walt Disney World (First mentioned)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide

External links

• Smuggling on Wikipedia