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A day after Kannada film actress Ranya Rao was arrested at Bengaluru International Airport for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said on Wednesday that a raid at her residence has led to the seizure of jewellery worth ₹ 2.06 crore and ₹ 2.67 crore in cash.
Rao, 33, who is the step-daughter of a senior Karnataka IPS officer of the Director General of Police rank, was intercepted at the airport early on Tuesday when she was returning from one of her frequent trips to Dubai.
“Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted an Indian lady passenger aged around 33 years, who had arrived from Dubai to Bengaluru via Emirates flight on March 3, 2025. Upon examination, gold bars weighing 14.2 kg were found ingeniously concealed on (her) person,” the DRI said in an official statement on Wednesday.
The gold bars seized on Tuesday “is one of the biggest seizures of gold at Bengaluru International airport in recent times”, the DRI stated.
Following the arrest, Rao was remanded to DRI custody till March 18 by a special court for economic offences. A search was also carried out at her residence.
“Following the interception, DRI officers conducted a search at her residential premises located at Lavelle Road, Bengaluru, where she resides with her husband. The search resulted in the seizure of gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore,” the DRI said. The total seizure in the case stands at Rs 17.29 crore, according to the DRI.
“The lady passenger has been placed under arrest under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and remanded to judicial custody,” the DRI said.
Rao, who entered the Kannada film industry in 2014 at the age of 22, played the lead role in three Kannada films. She had been trying to make a mark in other southern language films.
Rao’s step-father has had a controversial career and was linked many years ago in Mysuru to a suspicious robbery of a gold consignment that was being transported to Kerala from Karnataka on a bus by a jeweller.
Several lower-level police officers were accused of being hand-in-glove in the robbery case that occurred over a decade ago. The senior police officer was transferred from his posting but no official or legal action was initiated against him in the gold robbery case.
Last year, the son of the police officer was questioned by a Karnataka Police special investigation team over his alleged association with international hacker Srikrishna Ramesh alias Sriki as part of investigations into the hacker’s transactions and with specific reference to the purchase of a Porsche Macan bought by associates of the hacker in January 2018 by paying Rs 57 lakh. The car was later returned to the showroom for a refund.
The DGP’s son married the daughter of a renowned former Kannada film actress-turned-politician last month. Rao is also reported to have been associated with senior politicians in Karnataka.
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