Kannada Actress Ranya Rao Arrested in ₹17.29 Crore Gold Smuggling Case

Ranya Rao, stepdaughter of a senior Karnataka police officer, is accused of smuggling 14.2 kg of gold from Dubai and faces investigation into her alleged role in a larger smuggling network.

Ranya Rao was arrested at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport on March 3 with 14.2 kg of gold worth ₹12.56 crore concealed on her person.
Subsequent searches at her residence uncovered gold jewelry worth ₹2.06 crore and ₹2.67 crore in cash, bringing the total seizure to ₹17.29 crore.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) revealed that Rao had made 27 trips to Dubai in the past six months, raising suspicions of her involvement in organized smuggling.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched an investigation into the misuse of airport protocols and the potential involvement of public officials in facilitating smuggling activities.
Following the incident, Bengaluru airport and Karnataka authorities have tightened protocol privileges, restricting them to senior bureaucrats and excluding family members.