The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has uncovered a high-profile gold smuggling racket involving Kannada actor Ranya Rao, who was caught red-handed at Kempegowda International Airport (KIAD) in Bengaluru with 14.8 kg of smuggled gold worth Rs 12.56 crore. The arrest has triggered a larger investigation into an international smuggling syndicate, prompting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to step in to probe a “coordinated smuggling network” linked to Dubai.
During her interrogation, Rao made a startling revelation, claiming that she had learned to conceal gold through YouTube videos. “This was the first time I smuggled gold from Dubai to Bengaluru. I have never brought or purchased gold from Dubai before,” she stated, contradicting her earlier statements to the authorities.
She further disclosed that she had been receiving phone calls from unknown foreign numbers for weeks before her smuggling attempt. “I received a call from a foreign phone number on March 1. I was instructed to go to Gate A at Terminal 3 of Dubai Airport, collect the gold, and deliver it in Bengaluru,” she told DRI officials. According to her statement, she did not know the identity of the caller, except that he had an African-American accent and handed over the gold bars to her after a security check at the Dubai airport.
Ranya Rao detailed the steps she took to smuggle the gold, explaining that she bought crepe bandages and scissors from the airport and used them to strap the gold biscuits to her body inside a restroom. “The gold was in two plastic-covered packets. I hid the gold in my jeans and shoes,” she confessed.
She was instructed to deliver the gold bars to an unknown person at a designated drop-off point near the Bengaluru airport. “I was told to go to the service road after the airport toll gate and place the gold in an autorickshaw near a signal, but I wasn’t given the autorickshaw’s number,” she admitted.
The case has now taken a political turn with the Karnataka government launching an inquiry into the possible involvement of Rao’s stepfather, K Ramachandra Rao, a DGP-rank officer. He currently serves as the Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation.
Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta is leading the probe into whether the senior officer misused his influence to shield his stepdaughter from scrutiny. Authorities are also investigating whether Ranya Rao exploited her stepfather’s position to bypass security checks at the airport, as reports indicate she traveled to Dubai four times within just 15 days, raising concerns about her possible deeper involvement in organized crime.
The DRI has sought CBI’s assistance after arresting two foreign nationals from Oman and the UAE at Mumbai airport with 21.28 kg of gold worth Rs 18.92 crore. Investigators believe that Rao’s smuggling attempt was part of a larger transnational gold smuggling network operating between Dubai and India.
Following her arrest, a raid was conducted at her residence in Bengaluru’s upscale Lavelle Road. Officials seized gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash, further strengthening suspicions of her involvement in a broader smuggling ring.
Investigators are now analysing data from Rao’s phone and laptop to track other potential members of the smuggling syndicate. “We have identified certain individuals linked to this network and will take necessary action,” a senior DRI official confirmed. The Karnataka government initially ordered a CID probe into possible police lapses at the airport but later withdrew the order, citing the ongoing investigation by Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta.
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