As many members by now know, a recent spate of home-invasions and equipment thefts involving full-time photographers has culminated in a huge haul at a rented house on a golfcourse in Gordons Bay, Cape Town.
A week ago, a woman photographer in Hout Bay heard a noise at 1Am in the morning. She crept to look out of the windows near her front door, and 2 thugs wearing balaclavas were already in her house. They manhandled and assaulted her, and stuck a screwdriver down her throat. A third person was elsewhere in the house. They tormented her for an hour in her house, before leaving with all her camera gear.
This courageous woman on Saturday past, tracked down her Nikon D700 and other camera gear to a man living on the grounds of a golf course in Gordons Bay. This is where the police found lots and lots of other high-end photographic equipment. Thanks to one brave woman.
What has stunned me most, is the amount of photographer "clients" scurrying to defend this "equipment supplier" guy. After all, they say, he wasnt involved in the robbery.
On "Pro" forums like those on Outdoorphoto where this guy regularly sells equipment, I was basically accused of lying when I posted the Official SAPS report on the Gordons Bay haul.
(Despite the facts confirming my statements being available via a quick call to SAPS Corporate Communications or the police station, one admin decided to inform members "..the arrests were made because a buyer recognized goods from a seller and communicated their concerns to the seller. . So far, none of the people I have been communicating with has been under arrest {AN UNTRUTH}, and the members involved have been cleared{ANOTHER LIE - the 2 men were given bail}, although most of their equipment is currently with the SAPS "in case" newer reports come in of stolen goods {This is too far in the realm of the fantastic to expect adults to swallow}"
Pointing out that SAPS themselves say in their Press Release that they arrested the guy concerned and he and an accomplice had appeared in court, had no effect. The admin chose to stick to the story given to him by the Gordons Bay "equipment supplier"
The tactic then became even more hysterical and aimed at the credibility of the messenger -", until a day ago, nobody on this forum has heard of you !" )
I suspect that this spirited defence of someone caught red-handed dealing in stolen photo gear has it's roots in something other than simple camaraderie.
Lets be honest, one would have to be monumentally naive, or desperately need to have an alternative set of facts, to believe that this guy bought in R75 000 cameras and hugely-expensive ,specialist, pro lenses etc from people on the street without knowing that they could have maybe, just possibly have been wrenched from an innocent photographer or his family.
How many of these cameras came complete with ID books, shooting-permits and other personal items which identified the owner as a real person, who had no intention of selling his entire kit for R500?
I have to admit I get ill when I think of how utterly selfish a person must be to want to keep a guy in business so they can continue receiving their little "bargains".
How horrendously-callous does an individual have to be to ignore the real possibility that a father, a mother, a child, was tortured, assaulted for hours, or that someone died so they can scoop up a Canon 1DsMkIII , Nikon D3 or simlar piece of equipment for next to nothing?
Do you wipe the sticky brown congealed substance off your latest prized possession, convincing yourself that the victim probably had medical aid?
Yes, you probably did make a killing. |
