Cryptic crossword clue
Began turning up carrying cargo, initially of spoils 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word DETRACTS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
D
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T
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A
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S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "spoils" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case spoils = detracts.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does DETRACTS mean?

DETRACTS verb
  1. To take away; to withdraw or remove.
  2. To take credit or reputation from; to defame or decry.

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