this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2026
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I wonder whether it'd be possible by tracking serial numbers. You might get the first customer.
Potentially, assuming they weren’t stolen or sold off to a secondary buyer from a legit first customer. Problem is another one just pops up in its place.
I’m not saying don’t persue them, I’m saying it’s a game of state funded whack’a’mole.
Even if they were stolen, you at least know the origin. But yes, it's not easy to stop leaks of publicly sold items.
... and then you find something like a Philippinian trading giant where you still can't know or do a thing.
You could ban them from further sales. Or apply moar tariffs to them.
If the smugglers are even marginally competent they won't use their real personal information for the orders, nor the same fake information from one order to the next.
You? TBH I wouldn't do this because I don't really care.
Capitalism is evil and tracking some shipment for the benefit of some empire won't change that at all.