There isn’t a single universal international database for stolen camera gear. Some third-party services, such as Lenstag, allow owners to register equipment and report it stolen by serial number, and there are other similar databases as well.

The limitation is that multiple databases exist, so their usefulness is reduced: owners would need to register gear with all of them, and buyers or shops would need to check all of them. Many of these services also work best if the gear was registered before it was stolen.

So in practice, there’s no reliable worldwide system that guarantees a stolen camera or lens will be flagged everywhere, including every repair center in every country. Reporting the serial numbers to the manufacturer and local authorities is still sensible, but recovery options after the theft are unfortunately limited.