Actor Ranya Rao's smuggling plot exposed: How she met a 6-feet-tall man and concealed 14 kg gold
In a daring and meticulously planned crime, Kannada actor Ranya Rao was arrested at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport on March 3 for attempting to smuggle 14 kg of gold concealed in her clothing. The arrest follows a detailed investigation by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), revealing how the actor, known for her role in the 2014 Kannada film Maanikya, meticulously executed the smuggling operation.
Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of a senior IPS officer, had been travelling frequently to Dubai, with 27 trips to the city in the last six months alone. Authorities grew suspicious of her frequent foreign travels, and on March 3, she was intercepted just a few steps away from the airport exit after landing on an Emirates flight from Dubai.
Upon her arrest, DRI officials found out that Rao had concealed 12 gold bars, along with smaller pieces of gold, wrapped around her calf muscle and waist using adhesive tape. The gold was hidden in such a way that it would have been almost impossible to detect without a thorough body check. Additionally, smaller pieces were found in her shoes and pockets.
According to the authorities, Rao had planned the smuggling operation. In the days leading up to her flight, she had scouted the area around Dubai International Airport and bought adhesive tape from a stationary shop located half a mile away. She knew she would not be able to obtain scissors inside the airport, so she carefully cut pieces of tape and stored them in her bag.
According to reports, the actual smuggling took place in the airport's Terminal 3, where Rao received a call directing her to meet an "unknown man" in a dining lounge. Described as a six-foot-tall man in a white gown with a wheatish complexion and a rough American accent, the man handed over two packets containing the gold wrapped in a 'thick tarpaulin' like material. Rao claimed that it was her first time engaging in such an activity, but she had already taken steps to ensure the operation would go smoothly.
After receiving the packets, she quickly moved to a nearby washroom to put her plan into action. Following instructions from YouTube tutorials she had watched on concealing gold in the body, she wrapped the gold bars around her waist and calf muscles with tape. She then tucked smaller pieces of gold into her shoes and pockets.
Despite her careful preparations, Rao’s involvement in the operation ultimately came to light after the DRI conducted a thorough investigation. The actor's regular travels, coupled with her unusual behavior on the day of her arrival, raised red flags. Authorities soon got o know that an officer at the airport was allegedly involved in assisting her during the smuggling process.