Smuggling is when something or someone is taken illegally and in a way that evades legal detection.
Some items, such as tobacco and alcohol, are smuggled to sell on the black market in order to avoid taxes that would otherwise be paid on such items. Sometimes, people are smuggled from one country to another, either with their consent or against their will.
Under all circumstances, smuggling is illegal.
The type of item smuggled is what will determine the sentence levied against a defendant charged with smuggling. For instance, if the defendant smuggled drugs, they would also be charged with possession of drugs. If the defendant was charged with people smuggling, they would also be charged with immigration violations. The additional charges are what will determine the severity of the sentence that the smuggler receives.