Ranya Rao admits to learning gold Smuggling from YouTube videos

Bengaluru: Actor Ranya Rao, who is currently in the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), has admitted during interrogation that this was her first time smuggling gold from Dubai. She also disclosed that she had received calls from unknown numbers and learned how to conceal gold by watching YouTube videos.

"I received a call from a foreign phone number on March 1. I had been receiving calls from unknown foreign numbers for the past two weeks. I was instructed to go to Gate A at Terminal 3 of Dubai Airport. I was told to collect the gold at Dubai Airport and deliver it in Bengaluru," she said.

"This was the first time I smuggled gold from Dubai to Bengaluru. I have never brought or purchased gold from Dubai before," Rao stated.

Concealment techniques learned online

Ranya Rao further revealed that she bought crepe bandages and scissors at the airport and attached the gold bars to her body inside a restroom.

"The gold was in two plastic-covered packets. I attached the gold bars to my body in the airport restroom. I hid the gold in my jeans and shoes. I learnt how to do this from YouTube videos," Rao informed the revenue intelligence officers.

However, she claimed she was unaware of the identity of the person who called or instructed her.

"I am not entirely sure who called me. The caller had an African-American accent," she said.

Details of the exchange

Rao described the person who handed over the gold, stating, "He handed over the gold bars after a security check."

She added that he left promptly after the exchange.

"I never met or saw him again. The man was around 6 feet tall and fair-skinned," she said.

When asked who was supposed to receive the smuggled gold in Bengaluru, Rao responded, "I was instructed to deliver the gold bars to an unknown person."

She elaborated, "I was told to go to the service road after the airport toll gate and was supposed to put the gold in an autorickshaw near the signal, but was not given the autorickshaw’s number."

When questioned about a larger smuggling network, Rao stated, "I was instructed to collect the gold from an unknown person and deliver it to another unknown person."

Bail plea reserved

The Special Court for Economic Offences recently reserved her bail plea till Friday. During the court hearing, the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) pointed out that Ranya Rao bypassed security measures by exploiting airport protocols meant for senior officials. The protocol officer, when questioned, admitted to facilitating her security clearance following instructions from the police department.

The agency also stated that Ranya Rao had cleared immigration and the Green Channel with assistance from the State Protocol Office, suggesting possible involvement of the department. Furthermore, the agency alleged that significant amounts of money had been arranged and transferred through hawala channels, which are currently under investigation.

Arrest and investigation

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Ranya Rao after seizing 14.8 kg of gold from her at Bengaluru International Airport on Monday night. She was taken into custody upon arrival from Dubai on an Emirates flight. Officials had been tracking her movements due to her frequent trips to Dubai, which ultimately led to her arrest.

( With agency inputs)