Ranya Rao gold smuggling case

 Ranya Rao gold smuggling case

Kannada actress Ranya Rao was arrested on March 4, 2025, at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for allegedly smuggling 14.8 kilograms of gold worth approximately ₹12 crore. 

 The gold was reportedly concealed in her clothing and accessories to evade detection. timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Ranya Rao, 33, hails from Chikmagalur, Karnataka, and holds an engineering degree from Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bangalore. She made her film debut in 2014 with the Kannada movie 'Maanikya' and has since appeared in Tamil and Kannada films. 

 She is the stepdaughter of senior Karnataka IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao. timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Investigations revealed that Rao had traveled to Dubai approximately 30 times over the past year, with four trips in the last 15 days alone, raising suspicions about her activities. 

 Authorities allege she was paid ₹1 lakh per kilogram of smuggled gold, potentially earning around ₹12-13 lakh per trip. hindustantimes.com

Further searches at her Bengaluru residence led to the seizure of gold jewelry worth ₹2.06 crore and ₹2.67 crore in cash, bringing the total seizure to ₹17.29 crore. 

 Rao was remanded to 14-day judicial custody, and her bail plea is currently under consideration. tribuneindia.com

Her father, DGP Ramachandra Rao, expressed shock over the incident, stating that she had been living separately with her husband and that he was unaware of her activities. 

 The case has also brought renewed attention to a past controversy involving him from 2014, where he was linked to the alleged misappropriation of ₹2 crore seized from a private bus. timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The DRI is investigating the possibility of a larger smuggling syndicate, given the scale of the operation and Rao's frequent international travel. Authorities are also examining whether she received assistance from airport officials to bypass security checks. 

This case underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement in combating sophisticated smuggling operations and highlights the need for stringent security measures at international airports.