Dumb question, what's FR5? I've never heard the term before now....
Anyways, I concur with OP. Smuggling could stand for some "buffs" to the risk, adding excitement (and honestly worth). Right now smuggling is almost basically capped at the ptrain, already limiting the profit by a considerable amount of cargo space.
As a smuggler, you have a target on your back, that anyone who has the brains to scan you has a chance at shooting. Any freelancer can collect a bounty, cops, navy, greedy pirates, etc. Why not reward it?
You also get cool RP chances, like talking your way out of a situation, bribes, blababababa. If people sacrifice interaction and speed for a for reassuring chance at getting their cargo to point b (not taking tradielanes) they minimize their money making speed. Which in my opinion is a fair trade off.
Also, why force people to communicate? Like I understand that's the driving factor of the game. But if they wanna solemnly grind money and avoid player-to-player interaction. They shouldn't haaaave to find someone to mine for them, or whatever. Otherwise we lose the free from freelancer.