Kannada actor Ranya Rao, arrested earlier this month at Bengaluru airport for gold smuggling, admitted to Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials that it was her first time smuggling gold from Dubai to Bengaluru, India Today reported. She also revealed that she learned how to conceal gold bars by watching YouTube videos
Rao further said that she had been receiving calls from unknown numbers for two weeks leading up to the smuggling attempt.
“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,” she said.
“This was the first time I smuggled gold from Dubai to Bengaluru. I have never brought or purchased gold from Dubai before,” she added, contradicting her earlier statements to DRI officials.
Rao, who is the stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP K Ramachandra Rao, was caught at Bengaluru airport while attempting to smuggle 14.2 kg of gold worth ₹12.56 crore, concealed in the form of gold biscuits strapped to her body.
What did she do at Dubai airport with the gold bars?
Ranya Rao disclosed that she purchased crepe bandages and scissors at Dubai airport before securing the gold bars to her body inside a restroom.
“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 was quoted as saying by India Today.
However, she claimed she did not know the identity of the person who contacted or guided her.
“I am not entirely sure who called me. The caller had an African-American accent. The man was around 6 feet tall and fair-skinned,” she said.
When was Ranya Rao arrested?
Ranya Rao was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on March 3 at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru for allegedly smuggling 14.8 kg of gold from Dubai.
Ranya, the stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP K Ramachandra Rao, was presented before a special court on March 4 for financial offences. The court remanded her to judicial custody until March 18.
During questioning, Rao said that she traveled to Dubai for business purposes. However, investigators suspect her trip was linked to gold smuggling. She was initially remanded in DRI custody until March 10 for further investigation.
The Economic Offences Court in Bengaluru permitted her to meet her lawyer for 30 minutes daily during her three-day DRI custody.
Justice Vishwanath C Gowdar, who presided over the court, instructed the DRI to ensure she received basic necessities such as food and a bed. He also warned against any harsh treatment during the investigation.