In a significant crackdown on gold smuggling, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Kannada actress Ranya Rao at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Monday night. The actress, who had arrived on an Emirates flight from Dubai, was apprehended after 14.8 kg of gold was seized from her possession.
The estimated value of the seized gold is over ₹12 crore. Ranya, a familiar face in Kannada cinema, had been under DRI surveillance due to her frequent international travels. During the investigation, officials discovered that she had cleverly concealed most of the gold on her body. This included wearing gold strips and concealing gold bars within her clothing. It is alleged that she was attempting to smuggle the precious metal into India, bypassing customs and security checks.