Re:

dispatch ninjas to slip in and secretly replace spmers DSL hardware
with a 300 baud modem? Modern routers commonly have policing / rate
limiting policy support, so if wire-cutters weren't good enough,
there are other possible alternatives to finding a slow link to route
spammers to. the "WANEM" project also comes to mind

!~
mls qos aggregate-policer p1_8k 8000 1500 exceed-action drop

ip access-list extended 120
10 permit ip host (BADGUY) any eq 25
20 permit ip any eq 25 host (BADGUY)
!~
class-map known-spammer
  match access-group 120
policy-map spammerhell
  class known-spammer
    police rate 10 pps burst 1 packets peak-rate 11 pps
         conform-action set-dscp-transmit 0
         exceed-action drop
         violate-action drop
    !
    police aggregate p1_8k

int vlan 666
rate-limit input access-group 120 8000 1500 2000 conform-action
set-dscp-continue 0
      exceed-action drop
rate-limit output access-group 120 8000 1500 2000 conform-action
set-dscp-continue 0
exceed-action drop
!~

int SlowEthernet3/26
   service policy input spammerhell

...
Or whatever equivalent you have