Newcomer / Intro Mission Help needed

[Markuz]

So i am currently playing Elite: Dangerous and i don't really understand how to complete missions at all.. xD
So my current mission tells me to steal 3 canisters of narcotics.
But i have no idea how to actually steal those canisters... Where do i steal them and how?

 

[JEZorg]

Probably a bad choice. You will have to "source" stolen narcotics by killing another NPC trader at a USS. You will need a cargo scanner to check narcotics are being carried. Sometimes dropped cargo is already present at an USS but I have never encountered narcotics in this way. I doubt if you will complete the mission before it times out. You would be better sticking to courier and trade missions to start with.

 

[Flappers]

Go to USS's or Nav Beacons, and use a Cargo Scanner to scan traders.
Look to see if any of them are carrying any narcotics, and you can either use the Hatch Limpets to siphon the goods, or attack them and use sub targets to target their cargo hatch, in an attempt to break it.

A lot of NPC traders when under attack will usually drop their cargo, so they don't get killed. What you do with them after is up to you.

But note that if you do this, and attack clean ships, then you will gain a bounty and the feds will attack you.