Ranya Rao Confesses to Gold Smuggling, DRI Memo Reveals Evidence
Actor Ranya Rao confessed to smuggling gold for the first time and claimed she learned concealment techniques from YouTube videos. The DRI is probing her possible links to a smuggling syndicate.
Actor Ranya Rao, who is in the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), revealed during interrogation that it was the first time she smuggled gold from Dubai. The actor also claimed that she received calls from unknown numbers and learned to hide gold from YouTube videos. Rao, stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP K Ramachandra Rao, was arrested at Bengaluru airport while attempting to smuggle 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore in the form of biscuits strapped to her body.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has disclosed crucial evidence against Ranya Rao in the ongoing gold smuggling investigation, according to the arrest memo. The document details the sequence of events leading to her arrest and the statements she provided during questioning.
Ranya was apprehended on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, after arriving from Dubai. While crossing the green channel—designated for passengers carrying no dutiable goods—she reportedly claimed she had nothing to declare. However, a routine security check turned suspicious when a metal detector flagged something on her person, the memo revealed.
“I received a call from a foreign phone number on March 1. I had been receiving calls from unknown foreign numbers for the past two weeks. I was instructed to go to Gate A at Terminal 3 of Dubai Airport. I was told to collect the gold at Dubai Airport and deliver it in Bengaluru,” she said during interrogation.
Upon further questioning by DRI officials, the actor was taken aside for a detailed examination. The authorities allegedly recovered gold concealed in a manner designed to evade detection. The memo states that she had purchased crepe bandages and scissors at the airport and attached the gold bars to her body inside a restroom.
“The gold was in two plastic-covered packets. I attached the gold bars to my body in the airport restroom. I hid the gold in my jeans and shoes. I learned how to do this from YouTube videos,” she admitted.
However, she denied knowing the identity of the caller or the person instructing her. “I am not entirely sure who called me. The caller had an African-American accent,” she stated.
Ranya Rao also disclosed that she used Jatin Vijay Kumar’s credit card to book her ticket. When questioned about who was to receive the smuggled gold in Bengaluru, she said, “I was instructed to deliver the gold bars to an unknown person. I was told to go to the service road after the airport toll gate and put the gold in an autorickshaw near the signal.” However, she was not given the autorickshaw’s number.
As the case unfolds, more details are expected to emerge regarding the smuggling operation. The DRI continues its investigation to trace possible connections between Ranya and known smuggling syndicates.
