Crime
Gold Smugglers from Dubai are on CBI and DRI Radar
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched an investigation into a gold smuggling network operating through multiple Indian airports. This follows the arrest of Kannada actor Ranya Rao at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Monday night.
Ranya Rao was intercepted while returning from Dubai with 14.2 kg of undeclared gold worth Rs 12.56 crore. During questioning, she confessed to possessing 17 gold bars. Further searches at her residence led to the recovery of additional gold jewelry worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore. The total seizure in the case has now reached Rs 17.29 crore, including assets worth Rs 4.73 crore.
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Given the scale of the operation, the CBI has dispatched teams to Bengaluru and Mumbai airports to investigate the broader smuggling network. The agency’s focus is to uncover possible collusion between public officials, including customs and police personnel, and organized smuggling syndicates. Officials believe the network may involve multiple handlers facilitating the transport of illicit gold from abroad.
An official confirmed that the DRI has alerted the CBI about other potential smuggling operations similar to Rao’s case. The CBI may also take Rao into custody at a later stage in the investigation to trace key figures behind the syndicate. Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP K. Ramachandra Rao, has been remanded to DRI custody until March 10. Her stepfather currently serves as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.
This high-profile case has exposed deeper cracks in airport security and law enforcement, as authorities intensify their crackdown on illegal gold smuggling networks in India.