Hmmm, I see. I'm surprised though, that "probable cause"
would not immunise a Police Officer from litigation.

Anyway Mogul, we are talking Cambridge Ontario not LA LA land.

I have a friend in the QLD Police force, the QLD Police are competent professionals.
It is on that, that I base the assessment and action
that could be taken with the lens seller.

And that is: Ring Ian (the honest and competent plain clothes officer) and tell him what I know about the seller and his contradicting stories and suggest we check him out. First the data base of "stolen items" is checked for a "Bigma", Then arrange a meeting with the seller, at the meeting establish his identity and address and question him about the providence of the lens. If positive ID and address of the seller are established, and everything lenswise is Ok and the seller has a plausible reason for the contradicting emails, you've got a bargain, and owe "Ian" a few beers,
and photos of his boat and family.

If the seller/lens credos don't add up, the seller is taken down to the station for further questioning and charges laid if warranted.

That's the way I saw/see it.

Ian and I were based up in Townsville North Queensland.

Townsvilles population is about 200,000. Even though it is
QLDs second largest city, one could be forgiven for calling it a country town, perhaps Mogul, that is why what I have outlined is valid there and possibly Ontario but not where you come from.

My knowledge of the law is very average Mogul.
Having said that, if someone is screaming obscenities,
frothing at the mouth and hacking through someones front door with a machete, I'd bet "he's not collecting for the Red Cross."

Queensland is a remarkable state. Perhaps I should not speak of the state as a whole though, as I've not lived in Brisbane.
I spent part of 04 in Townsville N. QLD.
All of 05 in Cairns Far North QLD and back to Townsville for 06 and part of 07.

There's only one bigger city in QLD than those 2 and that's Brisbane, the states capitol. I would not mind betting though, that the Brisbane Police are much like the guys up north.

In Australia; each state and the Northern Territory has only one homogeneous Police force each.
And there is the Australian Federal Police that covers all of Australia. The Australian Capitol Territory (AKA Canberra) has no police force of its own. It is is policed by a resident contingency of the AFP.

Mogul, it's high time you stopped sniffing glue!

Inane... Not Insane! Two different words; two different meanings... good grief!

English comprehension is pretty poor around here. Some of you make Forrest Gump seem like an astro physysist.

I appreciate your response Mogul, but what in the hell has your post got to do with the subject of this thread:
A Sigma lens for sale that is probably stolen property?

Sorry if some of my responses seem "rude", but I have had
"tools of trade" stolen more than once and have suffered the consequences. The inane posts are not bringing the scumbags involved down.

If this is a stolen lens, I want the seller to feel the full force
of the judicial system. I wish I could be there so he could feel the full force of my Alpinestars motorcycle boots as well!

2 things Wood Glue.

1. With a slight stretch of the imagination I can see how
inane could be construed as a subset of insane.

But insane exceeds the boundaries of inane no matter how
you look at it... Unless the Chit Chat forum formally disposes of the constraints of the English language of course.

Then one could say to another; "perform an anatomically impossible act upon yourself", then respond to accusations of rudeness with; "But on Chit-Chat" "perform an anatomically impossible act upon yourself" is complimentary. After all, sex is a wonderful and pleasing experience.

2. It seems you have not noticed that this is "Main Photography Discussion" not "Chit-Chat, so, inane = you.