I was coming back from a mission yesterday, ([PRF Grim Reaper] with a cargo bay full of loot, and about 12 pilots tractored in as part of the mission. When the local armed forces pulled me over as I was coming out of the trade lane, back to base. They stoped me and scanned my cargo and said they had found something, 'drop your cargo or I will open fire', which I obliged.:)
I no Ive had this happed on more than one occasion, but as my char' 'PRF Grim Reaper', is a bounty hunter, I can't see what the problem is, I mean you don't no what you tractor into the ship after a fight! This should all be part of the spoils of war?
thing is, the npcs do not really recognize/acknowledge the fact that you are working for the LAwfuls. however, they only ask for specific stuff.
heres an example:
all the house lawfuls cover all contraband items, such as cardamine, and artifacts etc. however, if you have blood dragon npcs in your hold, and you are in kusari, the ksari naval forces will ask for them. however, if you are in bretonia with blood dragons in your hold, the lawfuls wont say nothing. since the blood dragons do not operate within bretonia, the bretonian police/military have no concern for them, so they do not demand them. same hold for all the houses.
if you are in liberty with rogues/hackers/outcasts/xeno pilots, the lawfuls will demanf you drop em. if you have unioners, GC, corsair (not sure about these guys), mollies, hessians etc, the liberty lawfuls wont ask for them
remember, im talking about npcs here.
the player factions, such as the SA, RM, KNF, QC have every right to ask you to drop the pilots, since essentially, you are a freelancer for them, since you aint in a faction. but dont worry, these guys have more stuff to worry bout than you selling your pirate pilots:)