Attempt to smuggle 134 billion in US bonds in a suitcase?

Quote from buzzy2:

This story is suspicious to me. It has several holes:

1. Bearer bonds are rare, except in Hollywood movies.
2. There are many unmanned Swiss-Italy border crossings. What kind of stupid money smuggler goes to Chiasso, where all the cops are.
3. With that kind of money you could easily bribe any italian authority, that this even reached the media is unbelievable.

I think more likely, this is just another stealth attack on swiss bank secrecy, to justify any measures against the swiss in the name of avoiding "scandalous money laundering" going on.
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I wonder if these bonds automatically become property of Italy? If so, it seems like Italy just scored some treasuries without having to pony up any money. They'll probably just liquidate them, and continue to send yields up, up and away.....
 
Quote from buzzy2:

This story is suspicious to me. It has several holes:

1. Bearer bonds are rare, except in Hollywood movies.
2. There are many unmanned Swiss-Italy border crossings. What kind of stupid money smuggler goes to Chiasso, where all the cops are.
3. With that kind of money you could easily bribe any italian authority, that this even reached the media is unbelievable.

I think more likely, this is just another stealth attack on swiss bank secrecy, to justify any measures against the swiss in the name of avoiding "scandalous money laundering" going on.
More...

Good points. US Government bonds are not bearer bonds. The only bearer bonds are euro issues aimed at tax evaders.

It seems odd that they would conduct such a diligent search that they would discover a false bottom suitcase. Either they were tipped off or something else was fishy.
 
Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

Good points. US Government bonds are not bearer bonds. The only bearer bonds are euro issues aimed at tax evaders.

It seems odd that they would conduct such a diligent search that they would discover a false bottom suitcase. Either they were tipped off or something else was fishy.
More...
No......."Bourne vs. Bond" was in filming! :eek:

:D :p :D
 
Quote from buzzy2:

This story is suspicious to me. It has several holes:

1. Bearer bonds are rare, except in Hollywood movies.
2. There are many unmanned Swiss-Italy border crossings. What kind of stupid money smuggler goes to Chiasso, where all the cops are.
3. With that kind of money you could easily bribe any italian authority, that this even reached the media is unbelievable.

I think more likely, this is just another stealth attack on swiss bank secrecy, to justify any measures against the swiss in the name of avoiding "scandalous money laundering" going on.
More...

You posted my comment . . . smells bad. The story is aimed at the ignorant.
 
Quote from ProfLogic:

You posted my comment . . . smells bad. The story is aimed at the ignorant.
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I don't think the story is aimed at the ignorant. Not to be tinfoil here, but isn't it odd that the story is barely reported? I ran a google news search - and came up with very little.

If there was an intended audience (the ignorant), there would have been a means to relay the story. Who knows...
 
Quote from Misthos:

I don't think the story is aimed at the ignorant. Not to be tinfoil here, but isn't it odd that the story is barely reported? I ran a google news search - and came up with very little.

If there was an intended audience (the ignorant), there would have been a means to relay the story. Who knows...
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You're right. Bad choice of words on my part. I should have simply said that it was aimed at people who thought this could be a believable story.
Anyone with any knowledge of the area they were caught in or what they were supposedly carrying would immediately know it was false or was being perpetrated by complete idiots carrying fake bonds.
 
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