The Japanese Bond Smugglers Are Missing

[rayofreason]

Source: Business Insider

The Japanese Bond Smugglers Are Missing

Joe Weisenthal|Jun. 17, 2009, 4:45 PM

At least the Japanese press is sitll interested in story of the two Japanese men caugh withs ome $134.5 billion in (presumably fake) US bearer bonds.

We can't read Japanese, and Google Translate isn't particularly helpful, but a reader informs us that the gist of this story is that a newspaper sent a reporter to Como, Italy and found that the men had been released, with their whereabouts unknown.

Now, the easiest, most-benign explanation for this whole thing is that it's just a counterfeiting scheme. Fine, but then why do you let them go without tracking their whereabouts.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-japanese-bond-smugglers-are-missing-2009-6

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The plot thickens. Read this for background.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=a62_boqkurbI

[pkdu]

1. Joe Weisenthal ..... Glenn Beck's new best friend

just sayin'.

[Arctic Dave]

2. This entire story was shady from day one.

With that type of $$$$, real or fake, I can only imagine who's involved. Bizarre and fascinating all in one.

[moggie]

4. Fake

The Japanese consulate general in Milan said Thursday it has confirmed that two men who were briefly detained by Italian police after attempting to enter Switzerland with $134 billion worth of U.S. bonds were Japanese citizens.

The two in their 50s and 60s were questioned by Italian investigators on June 1 at a train station in Chiasso, at the border with Switzerland about 50 kilometers north of Milan. Most of the bonds they were carrying were later found to be bogus, according to diplomatic sources.

The men were released later that day after an Italian lawyer provided fidelity guarantee for them. The Italian authorities continue to probe how the two obtained the bonds and why they were trying to take the fake securities to Switzerland.

The consulate general said it has not confirmed the whereabouts of the men as Italian authorities are providing no information about them. The two were heading to Zurich by train when they were detained.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/consulate-in-milan-confirms-2-men-carrying-forged-us-bonds-as-japanese

The next para says that the bonds were very poor fakes. So bad that it's a mystery what they were up to.

[Arctic Dave]

6. It's starting to read like a pulp fiction spy/crime novel.

[Sal Minella]

9. Anybody heard from Poppy lately???

[Arctic Dave]

10. cough* wouldn't put it past them cough*

[Sal Minella]

12. I read somewhere that the Carlyle Group manages to garner a 26% return

on their "investments."

Once one gets to a certain level of e-leetness and filthy-richness, one's business dealings are above the laws of the common man, I'm sure.

[AnneD]

3. Somehow....

I am not suprised. They are sleeping with the fish, next to Jimmy Hoffa, if it was ever real.

[Captain Hilts]

5. This is too fookin' strange. nt

[Celebration]

7. just sent this to my daughter to translate

What a crazy story.

[eridani]

14. Please post if she does it. Thx. n/t

[Pacifist Patriot]

8. That's 134.5 billion. With a B?

Oi!

[druidity33]

11. that's right!

the same exact number as the remaining TARP funds... go figure!

:shrug:

best article i've seen thus far...

http://seekingalpha.com/article/143462-strange-inconsistencies-in-the-134-5-billion-bearer-bond-mystery

[Xipe Totec]

13. I misplaced $134.5 Billion in US bonds on my last trip to Italy

If anybody happens to come across it, let me know. There's a 0.000001% finder's fee for anybody who helps me recover my bonds.


OKTNKX!