TOKYO -- British coin dealer Paul Davies sued the city of Tokyo and the Japanese government Tuesday for the return of 3,200 gold coins worth $2.5 million that were confiscated by police in 1990 as suspected forgeries.
'After two long years of total inaction and stonewalling by all the Japanese authorities involved, I am now compelled to take my case to the Japanese courts,' the Kyodo News Service quoted Davis as saying after he filed the suit.
Tokyo police confiscated in early 1990 about 107,000 coins, including Davis', believed to be high-quality forgeries of a Japanese coin minted in 1986 and 1987 commemorating the 60-year reign of Emperor Hirohito.
Davis claims his coins, which were seized at Tokyo's Narita airport, are genuine and he has sued for their face value.
Davis charged authorities failed to prove his coins are counterfeits despite two years of investigations that led to suggestions an Italian living in Spain ran the alleged counterfeiting operation.
Davis made a formal request to Tokyo police early this year for return the coins, but it was denied.
Authorities had no comment on the suit.
