Kannada Actress Ranya Rao Caught with 14kg Gold Taped to Her Thighs at Bengaluru Airport
Kannada actress Ranya Rao has been caught smuggling gold at Bengaluru International Airport. Officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested her on March 3 after she arrived from Dubai. She was carrying 14.2 kg of gold worth ₹12.86 crore.
Ranya tried to hide the gold by taping 14 gold bars to her thighs using tape and bandages. She then wore pants over them to avoid detection. However, officials became suspicious and checked her, discovering the gold. They believe she may have smuggled gold in a similar way before.
Ranya had been travelling to Dubai and Malaysia frequently, sometimes within just 5 to 10 days. This made officials suspicious, and they started tracking her movements. They received information that she was bringing a large gold consignment on March 3, which led to her arrest.
Reports say that Ranya used VIP entry at the airport to avoid strict security checks. A protocol officer was allegedly helping her pass through without being properly checked. This may have allowed her to smuggle gold in the past without being caught.
Husband Also Questioned
At the time of her arrest, Ranya was travelling with her husband, who is an architect. However, officials have not said whether he was involved in the smuggling. Investigators are now trying to find out if Ranya was just a courier or if she was part of a larger smuggling operation.
Cash and Jewellery Found in Raid
After her arrest, officials raided Ranya’s house and found jewellery worth ₹2.06 crore and cash amounting to ₹2.67 crore. The total value of the recovered assets is now ₹17.29 crore.
Family Connections Under the Scanner
Ranya’s stepfather is a senior police officer in Karnataka. However, he has distanced himself from her, saying they had not been in contact for months. But records show that Ranya and her husband attended a family wedding in February, raising doubts about his claims.
Her stepfather has been linked to past controversies, including a gold robbery case in 2014 and alleged connections to international hacker Srikrishna Ramesh, also known as Sriki.
Ranya has been arrested under the Customs Act, 1962, and has been sent to judicial custody until March 18. She is expected to apply for bail soon.
Ranya started her acting career in 2014 and has starred in a few Kannada films. She was reportedly trying to enter other South Indian film industries, but now she is facing serious legal trouble instead.
