Kannada actress Ranya Rao was arrested at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport for allegedly smuggling a staggering 14.80 kg of gold from Dubai.
The Maanikya actress, who once shared the screen with superstar Kiccha Sudeep, landed on Monday night, completely unaware that officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) were waiting to pounce.
Ranya was immediately detained as officers searched her belongings and discovered the illicit haul. She was then whisked away to the DRI office in HBR Layout, where she was formally arrested.
In a desperate bid to dodge trouble, she reportedly claimed to be the daughter of top cop, Director General of Police K Ramachandra Rao — a move that didn’t impress authorities.
According to news reports, Ranya had been on the radar for some time, with intelligence reports linking her to a gold smuggling racket operating out of Dubai. Her suspiciously frequent trips — four visits to Dubai in just 15 days — had already raised eyebrows among investigators.
Determined to catch her red-handed, DRI officials laid a trap for the actress at Bengaluru airport. She allegedly smuggled the gold bars by wearing and concealing it in her clothes. Following her arrest, she was presented before an economic offences court, which remanded her to 14 days in judicial custody.
Authorities are investigating whether she was acting alone or was part of a larger smuggling network operating between Dubai and India.
(Source: Deccan Herald, TOI)