Contraband

From BioShock Wiki

"Now hold on there, pretty lady. The only people who face capital punishment in Rapture are smugglers. And that's because they put everything we've worked for at risk. Imagine if the Soviets found out about our wonderful city, or even the U.S. government. Our secrecy is our shield."

―Rapture propaganda recording

After the creation of Rapture, certain items were labeled contraband and barred from importation into the city. Many of these items were outlawed due to conflict with the ideals of the city or the fact that they could eventually lead to a possible security breach and reveal the location of the city to the outside world. However, most of these items have been smuggled in, in spite of the consequences of bringing these items in illegally.

Some of these outlawed contraband articles included:

• The Christian Holy Bible (most notably scattered throughout the game, however, all religious anachronisms or texts are considered evil by Ryan)
• Films from outside Rapture; evident by a open suitcase with movie reels inside underneath a corpse labeled "smuggler".
• According to one of Peach Wilkins' removed audio diaries, Smuggling is a Crime, Frank Fontaine's crew also smuggled beef and real tobacco from the surface, as it could not be found in the underwater city.
• Fontaine also mentions taking "nose candy" (cocaine, more than likely) to Jack in Proving Grounds. Presumably, as this type of drug cannot be found underwater, this was also smuggled from the surface.
• Many weapons are of a make and model produced on the surface.
• The Bobby Darin song "Beyond the Sea" came out in 1959. This would seem to indicate that Fontaine's smugglers have operated up until very recently.