noun
smuggler; bootlegger; illicit dealer; trafficker
Refers to a person who illegally sells or transports goods, especially controlled substances, alcohol, or other contraband.
警察は密売人を逮捕した。
The police arrested the smuggler.
彼は酒の密売人として知られていた。
He was known as a bootlegger.
売人 is a more general term for a seller, often used in the context of drug dealers. 密売人 specifically adds the nuance of secrecy and illegality.
Compound of 密 (secret, illegal) + 売 (sell) + 人 (person). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a common pattern for describing a person engaged in an illicit activity.