Is it only interstellar traffic that is required to the Starport or does system traffic need to go through as well. (generally-speaking as every system will obviously be different.) What about spaceposts? Private/corporate spaceports? Are inspections done during medical or other types of emergencies?
It will depend on who is being paid off. The aim is usually to limit access to the majority. Some will claim to have a legitimate need and the wealthier you are (either as an individual or a corporate body) the easier it will be to buy legitimacy. Owning your own spaceport is a high enough bar that you might get a waiver for system traffic. Obviously if it became clear that you were a drop-off point for contraband and you didn't grease the right palms you might find your waiver revoked at the least convenient time.
Often normal procedures will be waived in the event of a medical emergency but, whilst no customs official wants to delay aide there is nothing stopping them checking up afterward and launching a subsequent investigation.
If you worry about criminal competitors chopping the smugglers up, wouldn't snitches have that same concern?
Not everyone is smart enough to take the long view, tragedy of the commons. Penalties for snitching in the real world are often brutally high. People still do it.
Yeah. This I have to give more thought to. How are the people making contact with the smugglers to "order" what they need?
Probably like male spiders courting female spiders - carefully. Bent brokers, small ads or even overt requests by the buyer themselves when out of system where the goods are not restricted. People have used computer game chats to plan real crime. The hackneyed one would be a notice in the starport bar - "Interested party seeks to purchase a laser rifle. Delivery to <address> secures KCr20 ask for Pericles". If the value of goods to the smuggler is low compared to the reward it may be worth the risk of getting scammed every once in a while.
A dead drop might be safe for the recipient and even legit local parcel companies might just accept packages - no questions asked (either by policy or laziness). Such packages can be expected to undergo scans when passing through borders, but inventive smugglers will find a way (at least for a while).
Unlucky couriers might find out the perfectly legit seeming sealed package passed to them by a reputable contact turns out to contain contraband. People post illegal things to each other all the time and customs rarely prosecute an unsuspecting carrier. Of course it that carrier got reputation for being "unobservant" then they might become popular with a particular type of customer. People who find a reliable way of shipping contraband might keep increasing the quantities shipped to maximise profits. All very profitable until "that" day.
Payment seems pretty easy as tracking money the way the governments do these days just isn't possible in Charted Space due to distance and comm-lag. (as long as you are not only doing business in one or two systems).
Bartering is possible but there is the risk that when you leave the system a random check might require an explanation of where you got it and receipts being required. Of course you can always claim it is freight and fake the shipping dockets. They are probably checking for theft at that point but if you start sweating...
Thanks for all of your guys' help. This is becoming a much more complicated idea than I originally thought. Not sure if that is good for the players' peace of mind or not. lol
It shouldn't be either routine or impossible or there is no adventure. Travellers should be living in the challenge zone. Depending on the reward the risk should be proportionate. CRB p256 gives guidance. Smuggling at a low level is unlikely to attract the interest of organised crime (though disorganised crime is another matter), it's when people smell the big money that they become interested and dangerous.