ED Files PMLA Case Against Ranya Rao in Gold Smuggling Case

Bengaluru: In connection with a large-scale gold smuggling and money laundering case, Directorate of Enforcement, New Delhi, on Wednesday filed a prosecution complaint at a Special Court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases, Bengaluru, against actress Ranya Rao, her associates Tarun Konduru and Sakariya Jain under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The Prosecution Complaint has been filed for commission of offence of money laundering as defined under the section 3 of PMLA and punishable under Section 4 of the ACT.

Ranya Rao was intercepted by officials of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence at Kempegowda International Airport on her arrival from Dubai on March 2, 2025, and DRI officials recovered foreign-origin gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore while they seized gold bars weighing 14. 213 kgs from her on the spot. Subsequent searches at the residence of Ranya Rao in Bengaluru city, ED officials recovered gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore.

Officials of ED took up the investigation in the gold smuggling case after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a First Information Report on March 7, 2025.

Continuing its investigation in the gold smuggling case, ED officials as many as 127.287 kg of gold valued at about Rs 102.55 crore was smuggled into the country from abroad from March, 2024 to March, 2025.

ED investigations threw light on smuggled gold being disposed of in the domestic market through a network of handlers and jewellers. The sale proceeds were generated in cash and settled through hawala channels in the country and abroad. ED conducted searches at multiple locations in the State on May, 21 and 22 previous year and seized several incriminating documents, digital devices, Indian currency and foreign currency