[PacificDiver]

If these were in fact genuine treasury bonds I would suspect that this money belongs to a government, possibly the Japanese government, given the size of the seizure. I would also suspect that these two men worked for the Japanese government, or a large Japanese Bank representing the government. Furthermore I would suspect that they were doing this for the Japanese government, which wanted the sale of these bonds to be private. I don't think the Japanese government wants to go on record as selling U.S. bonds because it would depress the U.S. bond market and cause losses in their remaining holdings. I'm sure they wanted these bonds to be quietly sold, over time, without making any waves on the bond market.

[Malesherbes]

Not mentioned in the article is that they also had 500 copies of BO’s birth certificate.

[GOPJ]

The fear of counterfeit bonds and securities has spread across Asia with the result that real securities are also considered with suspicion.

Doesn't this have an odd feel to it?

[GOPJ]

Are the Japanese dumping our debt? What’s going on here?

[wideminded]

Italian Police Ask SEC to Authenticate Seized U.S. Treasuries

"The bonds, with a face value of more than $134 billion, are probably forgeries, Colonel Rodolfo Mecarelli of the Guardia di Finanza in Como, Italy, said today. " ...

"... Such high denominations would not have existed in 1934, the purported issue date of the notes, Mecarelli said. Moreover, the “Kennedy” classification of the bonds doesn’t appear to exist, he said. "

[avid]

The German Handelsblatt just reported that at least a part of bonds are genuine.

http://www.handelsblatt.com/journal/nachrichten/schmuggel-anleihen-wahrscheinlich-echt;2355175