When their gear gets stolen, it happens that photographers discover it listed for sale online. Some of them manage to retrieve it, even if it takes a few years. This is what happened to a photographer who goes by the name Mr. Greenshirt. When his trusted and distinct-looking Fujifilm X100T got stolen, he soon recognized it in a Kijiji listing. So, he got in touch with the police and helped to set up a sting operation and catch the thief.
While Mr. Greenshirt and his friend were traveling, their car was robbed when they stopped for dinner. Among the things that got stolen, there was the Fujifilm X100T which was Mr. Greenshirt’s faithful companion on all journeys. After filing a police report, some of the stuff was found, but the camera wasn’t among them.
The theft occurred in a small town, and the photographer quickly went through Craigslist listings from that area. No luck. His camera wasn’t being sold there, so he started looking for something new. He searched Kijiji too, and something caught his eye – it was his camera! He got in touch with the police, but there was nothing they could do at first. However, the thief’s phone number was the breaking point to make the police get seriously involved.
As it turned out, the criminal used the same phone number to sell the camera and for other illicit activities. The police recognized him as dangerous and violent, and they suggested to Mr. Greenshirt that he helps them set up a sting operation. The photographer arranged the meeting point with the thief, and the police set up the trap.
When the thief and Mr. Greenshirt met, the police showed up. But it wasn’t the end. The guy tried to escape, and after a chase, the police caught him and arrested him. Mr. Greenshirt finally got his camera back, and he even sent a cheeky message to the thief to thank him.
This story ended well for the photographer, and he was lucky that the police was after this guy for other reasons. Otherwise, he would be on his own. Since the thief was known as violent and dangerous, who knows what could have happened. Back in January, two men got killed after trying to retrieve a stolen camera. So, I suggest that you always keep an eye on your gear, no matter how safe the environment seems. It can get stolen even from a church!
[via Light Stalking]
