Daijiworld Media Network- Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Mar 5: In a sensational development, Kannada actress Ranya Rao, daughter of a senior IPS officer in Karnataka, has been arrested for allegedly smuggling gold using a unique method to evade security checks. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) uncovered that the 31-year-old actress strapped 14 gold bars to her thighs, wrapped them with tape and crepe bandages, and concealed them under her clothing.

Authorities described her arrest as one of the biggest breakthroughs in recent gold smuggling cases.

So far, officials have seized 17.29 kg of gold and cash in the case, including 14.8 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore recovered at the airport, Rs 2.06 crore worth of gold seized from her residence, and Rs 2.67 crore in cash discovered during raids.

Ranya Rao was apprehended on Monday night upon her arrival at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, on an Emirates flight from Dubai. Acting on intelligence inputs, the DRI deployed a four-member team at the airport, anticipating her arrival.

Sources revealed that Ranya Rao had traveled to Dubai four times in just 15 days, raising red flags for investigators. Officials suspect she may have been involved in multiple instances of gold smuggling before her arrest.

Authorities are also probing allegations that she misused her father’s position—Director General of Police (Police Housing Corporation)—to evade scrutiny at the airport.

"Upon landing, she would reportedly call police personnel to pick her up, who then escorted her home, avoiding routine customs checks," sources said. Officials are now investigating whether any law enforcement officers were complicit in the smuggling operation.

Following her arrest, the DRI raided her upscale Lavelle Road apartment in Bengaluru on Wednesday, where she was paying Rs 4.5 lac in rent. The search led to the discovery of additional gold and cash, taking the total seizures to 17.29 kg of gold and Rs 2.67 crore in cash.

Her father, Ramachandra Rao, has distanced himself from the case, stating that he has not been in touch with his daughter since her marriage four months ago.

Ranya Rao, who starred opposite Kannada superstar Sudeep in ‘Maanikya’, has also worked in other South Indian films. She was produced before a court on Tuesday and has been remanded to judicial custody as investigations continue into her smuggling network and possible accomplices.