There is a huge difference between smugglers and spies though. Profit motive is all you need to be a smuggler, you don’t need espionage or anything else, you definitely don’t need a handler in zhongnanhai.
reply> Profit motive is all you need to be a smuggler, you don’t need espionage or anything else
replyWhat you need to be a smuggler is to avoid prison.
When one side is fully aware that you are a smuggler that they can rat on to the other side whenever they want, even a child could blackmail you.
So that's one (fairly realistic imo) pathway from smuggler -> to espionage.
This is a hypothetical anyways.
The core competency of smugglers is getting the goods delivered. Some smugglers are motivated beyond profit or avoiding jail.
reply> She was being monitored by the CIA, who believed she was a spy.
replyMLK Jr. was being monitored by the FBI and CIA, who believed he was a Communist.
[dead]
reply