Short answers, pulled from the story.
Smuggling first became a recognized problem in England in the 13th century, following Edward I's creation of a national customs collection system in 1275. Medieval smuggling initially focused on the illicit export of heavily taxed goods such as wool and hides.
People smuggling involves facilitating illegal entry into a country for a fee, after which the smuggled person is free. Human trafficking involves coercion, deception, or force, and traffickers retain ongoing control over victims through debt bondage, threats, or other means.
During Jefferson's embargo of 1807-1809, smuggling surged at locations including Passamaquoddy Bay, St. Mary's in Georgia, Lake Champlain, and Louisiana, which became the primary places where goods were smuggled out of the nation in defiance of the law.
It has been reported that smuggling one truckload of cigarettes within the United States can yield a profit of US$2 million, driven by the price disparity between low-tax and high-tax jurisdictions.
A U.S. government report published in 2003 estimated that between 800,000 and 900,000 people worldwide are trafficked across borders each year. That figure does not include those who are trafficked internally.
Smugglers have used dogs, cats, homing pigeons, horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, goats, sheep, llamas, elephants, and camels to transport contraband. Methods range from strapping drugs to pack animals to surgically implanting contraband inside livestock for removal after slaughter.