Actress Ranya Rao Caught Smuggling 14.8 Kg Gold at Bengaluru Airport

Ranya Rao, originally from Chikmagalur, Karnataka, pursued engineering at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bengaluru before stepping into the film industry.

She made her acting debut in 2014 with the Kannada film Maanikya, which Sudeep directed and starred in. She played Manasa, a wealthy young woman and the protagonist’s love interest.

Expanding her career beyond Kannada cinema, Ranya Rao entered the Tamil film industry in 2016 with Wagah, a romantic drama where she starred opposite Vikram Prabhu. The following year, she returned to Kannada films with Pataki, a comedy in which she played Sangeetha, a journalist and the love interest of actor Ganesh’s character.

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Gold Smuggling Investigation and Arrest

Officials placed Rao under surveillance due to her frequent international travel after she arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight. Investigators discovered that she had allegedly smuggled gold by wearing a significant portion of it and hiding gold bars in her clothing.

Authorities grew suspicious when they noticed her four trips to Dubai within 15 days and launched a targeted operation upon her return. Preliminary investigations suggest that she may have used her connections to bypass customs checks.

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Reports indicate that after landing, she allegedly claimed to be the daughter of Karnataka’s Director General of Police and contacted local police personnel to escort her home.

Officials are now examining whether any law enforcement officers, including her IPS relative, knowingly assisted her or if she misled them. After her arrest, authorities took Rao to the DRI headquarters in Bengaluru’s HBR Layout for questioning.

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Investigators are now determining whether she acted alone or was part of a larger smuggling network operating between Dubai and India.