pilfered goods; stolen items
Refers to goods that have been stolen or pilfered, often in the context of theft from cargo or shipments. Somewhat dated or literary.
Word came that pilfered goods had been found on the ship.
Compound of 抜き (nuki, 'pulling out, extracting') + 荷 (ni, 'cargo, goods'), literally 'pulled-out goods'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term likely originated in contexts of theft from shipments.