The notion of smuggling is used to name the act of entering goods into a country illegally , without paying the corresponding taxes or without respecting a prohibition established by law . The concept is also used with reference to the goods in question.
For example: "The police arrested five people for smuggling sports clothing," "The young man boasted of having smuggled in more than fifty phones," "Why are these televisions offered at such a cheap price?" Aren't they contraband? .
It can be said that smuggling is the entry, exit and clandestine marketing of prohibited products or products that are subject to rights that are defrauded . When someone carries out smuggling, they are violating the law, either by operating with goods that are prohibited or by not paying the tariffs set by the State.
Suppose that in a nation the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited since the authorities consider that they corrupt human beings and incite violence and lack of control. However, to satisfy the demand that exists for this type of drinks, a group of people travel abroad, purchase the drinks and enter them illegally into the country, selling them clandestinely. This entire operation constitutes an act of smuggling.
Similarly, if a person buys computers abroad and takes them to their country without declaring them at customs and, therefore, without paying the corresponding taxes, they will be entering contraband merchandise.
At a historical level, it must be emphasized that smuggling gained great prominence in certain past stages. A good example of this is the period between 1920 and 1933. And at that time what was known as Prohibition was in force in the United States, which established the prohibition of selling any type of alcoholic beverage.
This situation led to smuggling becoming topical due to the number of clandestine industries that were committed to secretly manufacturing alcohol. This situation caused not only that it acquired very high prices on the black market but also that dangerous criminal gangs specialized in the sale of these types of drinks emerged.
Among the most significant gangs, without a doubt, was the one led by the dangerous gangster Al Capone, who managed to amass an enormous fortune. However, this and the rest of the criminal groups of this type led to a period in the United States where crime waves were, as they say, the order of the day.
In the same way, we cannot ignore the film "Contrabando", which was released in 2012. It is directed by Baltasar Kormákur and stars Mark Walhberg, Diego Luna and Kate Beckinsale.
It tells the story of a former criminal who must commit a crime again in order to pay off a huge debt that his brother-in-law has acquired. Specifically, he will once again work as one of the best smugglers.