10 Strange and Unexpected Things Smuggled into Strict Authoritarian Countries

When people think about things that are smuggled, the first thing that comes to mind is usually drugs. Then, there are banned and controlled items, such as ivory and weapons. But the truth is that throughout history, all kinds of things have been smuggled. Basically, for as long as authorities have been taxing and controlling the goods that enter borders, smugglers have been finding ways around them. And nobody likes controlling the goods that enter their territory like an authoritarian or totalitarian regime.

Each one of these that have emerged throughout history has tried to ban things that people enjoy, often arbitrarily. Some have been more successful at it than others, but none have ever managed to fully prevent contraband from making its way into the hands of citizens. Here are ten of the fascinating things that have been smuggled under the noses of some of history’s strictest regimes.

Related: 10 Pop Songs Banned by Governments

10 A Letter from the Pope

The Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world; however, because Roman Catholics all around the globe are obligated to hear the teachings of its leader, the pope, it wields a large amount of influence globally. In 1937, Pope Pius XI decided to use that influence to subvert the Nazi regime. He published an encyclical—a letter intended for wide circulation—written in large part by his successor, Pius XII.

It was titled “Mit brennender Sorge,’ which translates to “With Deep Anxiety.” But it might well have been called “With Intense Anger” as the two Piuses did not mince their words. In fact, for extra clarity, they wrote the encyclical in German rather than Latin. It was full of contempt for the Nazis and even mocked their “superficial minds.”

To avoid interception by the authorities, the document was smuggled into Germany, where 300,000 copies were then printed and delivered in the dead of night to churches just before Palm Sunday when high attendance was expected. An estimated 20 million German Catholics heard it that morning when priests read it out during the mass.^[1]

9 The Lithuanian Language

Books tend to be near the top of every tyrant’s list of things to ban, and the Russian Tsars were no different. In fact, they once tried to get rid of a whole language. After taking control of its neighbor, Lithuania, in the late 19th century, Russia wanted to Russify the country’s people. They made it illegal to print, possess, or distribute Lithuanian writings, but apparently, they did not count on the large Lithuanian populations in Prussia and the U.S. forming a resistance and publishing some three million books and papers in the language.

Every year, around 40,000 of these would be smuggled into the country. The smugglers sailed or swam across the border at the River Nemunas while carrying up to 80 pounds (36.3 kilograms) of books. These would then be hidden in hay, furniture, and even coffins and carried by horse-drawn carts up the Panemunė Road deep into the country. The deeds of these smugglers, who risked torture and exile to Siberia, are credited with saving the oldest surviving Indo-European language.^[2]

8 A New National Anthem

While literature helped save the Lithuanian identity, in occupied France, it was music. Historically, many movements have used the power of song to unite people behind their cause. This is why when regimes change, the songs often do too. When the Nazis invaded France, they swiftly banned “La Marseillaise,” the French national anthem. However, the leaders of the French Resistance knew about the power of songs, too, and the Nazis had just given them the opportunity to come up with a new one that would not be recognized for a while.

When an exiled Resistance leader called Emmanuel d’Astier overheard the singer Anna Marly singing an old Russian tune, he thought resistance lyrics would suit it and tasked some French refugees with writing them. The result was “Le Chant des Partisans,” which was then broadcast by resistance radio stations and the BBC. Resistance newspapers printed the music and lyrics, and the British Royal Air Force helped smuggle copies into France. The song became very popular. It was ritually sung after resistance fighters had been killed and was briefly adopted as a national anthem after the war.^[3]

7 The Beatles’ Records

The USSR was another regime that thought that music was a powerful tool that could be dangerous. They also tried to ban music that they did not approve of, and apparently, they did not approve of much. Even artists who were not exactly known for politically charged lyrics were prohibited, including The Beatles.

The famed British group was deemed to be “capitalist pollution” worthy of prohibition. However, this did not stop Beatlemania from making it across the Russian border. In fact, the smugglers there came up with a unique way of getting records by the Fab Four and other banned artists into people’s hands.

While there was a black market for real vinyl records smuggled in by the few people permitted to travel abroad, these were too expensive for most Soviet workers. They could cost as much as two weeks’ salary. But somebody figured out that copies could be made by pressing the music onto x-ray film using a specially adapted record player. The resulting discs still had the X-ray images on them, which caused the locals to call them “music on the bones.”^[4]

6 Jesus of Nazareth

The “Jesus of Nazareth” smuggled into Romania under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu was a 1977 film, not the religious figure. Ceaușescu, who ruled Romania between 1965 and 1989, had been inspired to ban “foreign ideas” by his trips to Asian communist countries such as China and North Korea. He placed all sorts of arbitrary restrictions on culture, especially when it came to TV and film. No Tom and Jerry cartoons. No Ferraris, luxury homes, or swimming pools could be shown. Anything religious was out, too.

However, where there is demand, someone will satisfy it, and the Romanians demanded distraction from his oppressive dictatorship. They wanted to watch Western movies and listen to music. Some of those who were allowed to leave the country, such as athletes, pilots, and sailors, began bringing VHS tapes and records back with them. Jesus of Nazareth was one, but there were many more. They were passed onto underground networks of translators and distributors, and secret screenings were held in living rooms with blankets nailed over the windows.^[5]

5 Squid Game

Even under Ceaușescu, there were times when prolific figures in the illegal trade of foreign culture were not prosecuted when there was plenty of evidence against them. Some of the authorities were themselves involved. Others have speculated that keeping the black market going actually helped the regime by distracting people from plotting against it. However, one of Ceaușescu’s inspirations, North Korea, continues to brutally enforce its ban on foreign ideas.

It is called the “Law on the Elimination of Reactionary Thought and Culture,” and even minors are not exempt, as demonstrated in a case from 2021. A student who smuggled copies of the hit South Korean series Squid Game into the country on a flash drive was sentenced to death by firing squad. He had sold copies of the film to other students, but word spread, and the censors found out. Those who bought the film were interrogated and imprisoned or given hard labor.^[6]

4 The Internet

One of the biggest challenges for authoritarians has been the internet. It is so vast that it is impossible to completely stop people from accessing censored materials, though several countries have given it a good go. One of these is Iran, whose authorities even have a “kill-switch” they can use to shut off the internet at any time. But these regimes are now faced with the challenge of satellite internet, which can bypass their censorship and control, with SpaceX’s Starlink being the leading example.

The problem is that satellite technology requires receivers on the ground. Iran’s leaders forbid these, saying that they “deviate from morality and culture.” However, activist groups had reportedly smuggled hundreds of Starlink receivers into the country by 2022. One of the reasons why they need satellite internet access is so that they can effectively organize protests and share their leaders’ crimes with the world. For example, an estimated 1,500 people were killed by the regime during protests in 2019. The officials shut down the internet to stop people from sharing what they were doing.^[7]

3 Computer Chips

Sometimes, the things that are smuggled into authoritarian countries are not forbidden by that country’s regime. Instead, they have to be smuggled in because their country of origin limits trade with those countries. Recently, this has been seen with Nvidia computer chips. Since 2022, the U.S. has restricted advanced Nvidia GPUs and data center chips, which can be used for AI, from being exported to China. Yet many of the devices can be found for sale there.

The question really is how they are getting out rather than how they are getting in. One way is through an underground network that transports dozens of the devices each month. It uses couriers coming from nearby countries that are allowed the chips, such as Singapore. This only works for some chips, though. Even within the U.S., some of them are not available for individuals to buy. They must be bought by companies that set up data centers like Dell and Super Micro. However, reports have said that Chinese buyers have found various loopholes they can use to get around this and get their hands on them.^[8]

2 Philosophers

If there is one thing authoritarians are scared of, it’s ideas. That is why they ban books, but books are not the only way ideas can be transported. They can also be carried by people. In communist Czechoslovakia in the late 1970s, a number of renowned philosophers were able to enter the country right under the authorities’ noses to share their ideas. It was risky for all involved.

One of them, the British philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, said that the authorities were suspicious of all gatherings and that it was dangerous to join groups or share interests with others. The small group of thinkers he worked with entered the country by arranging to attend open seminars, which the authorities already knew about. The authorities’ suspicions about these seminars made them perfect decoys.

While the police’s attention was focused on those talks, they remained ignorant of the smaller seminars that the group was really there for. These were small discussion groups where they taught students about philosophy, history, art, music, and more. Scruton’s organization also worked in other places behind the Iron Curtain, such as Hungary and Poland.^[9]

1 Corpses

In the Western world of the 18th and 19th centuries, many dying people probably feared ending up on the black market of dead bodies after they were gone. In 21st-century Iraq, however, most of the dead being smuggled would have been happy to know about their situation. They were embarking on a journey shared by millions of Shiite Muslims over many centuries, one that would end with their burial at the Valley of Peace cemetery in Najaf, Iraq.

The city-sized cemetery, known locally as Wadi Al-Salam, is thought to contain more than six million bodies, including those of kings and prophets. The number of burials dropped during the late 20th and early 21st centuries when Iraq was ravaged by wars and rebellions. Legally, having bodies sent there for burial was then effectively outlawed for most people as high fees and taxes meant that only the wealthy could afford it. However, Iraqi and Iranian smugglers soon stepped in to meet the demand at a lower price. The dead bodies would be smuggled into the country using the same routes as illegal drugs and weapons.^[10]