Having just purchased an Icom IC-A2 quite cheaply, I read the thread with interest! Fortunately, the seller of my Icom was able to provide documented proof of ownership going back to 1998.
It did occur to me, as I applied for the Radio License to accompany the Icom, that the CAA form requires the serial number of the unit to be entered and as such the CAA would be about the only place that a stolen transciever could be positively identified when it returned from the 'black economy'.
Perhaps the CAA could maintain a list of stolen serial numbers and at least then the unit could be identified, when someone applied for a license for the unit. It could the be returned to the rightful owner. There would then be an incentive to the purchasers to ensure that the item was actually owned by the person selling it - knowing that the item could be taken off them, if found to be stolen, would certainly concentrate the mind.
On course the idea only works if the new owner is responsible and applies for a license. I don't know how rigorously the licensing scheme for hand-held transceivers is policed, so I can't imagine hwo sucessfuly such a scheme would be.
Anyone know if the CAA has been asked about such an idea?