DRI says evidence of gold smuggling found in 11 of 31 Dubai trips by actors; 14.2 kg seized at Bengaluru airport
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) told the Karnataka High Court on Monday that actors Ranya Rao and Tarun Konduru alias Virat Konduru smuggled 100 kg of gold into India from Dubai, as part of a wide-reaching gold smuggling racket, reported indianexpress.com.
The DRI revealed that analysis of Customs declarations made in Dubai and links to arrested hawala operator Sahil Jain, who received the smuggled gold, confirmed the operation’s scale. This includes the 14.2 kg of gold seized from actress Ranya Rao at Bengaluru airport on March 3.
During the bail hearing, the DRI counsel stated that more evidence is being gathered to link additional trips made by the actors to similar smuggling activities. Four more Customs declarations from 2024 were recently obtained, with the court directing the DRI to submit full details.
The court was informed that the actors made 31 trips to Dubai in 2024, 25 of them in a single day, and evidence of smuggling was found in 11 of those visits.
Ranya Rao’s use of VIP protocol services at the Bengaluru airport has also come under scrutiny, allegedly facilitated by her stepfather, a senior DGP-rank officer.
The High Court questioned how the actress, a private individual, accessed special protocol services reserved for government officials. The DRI clarified that her stepfather, officer Ramachandra Rao, instructed a police constable to extend the services.
Meanwhile, Ranya Rao’s counsel argued that the DRI did not adhere to Customs Act procedures during her search and arrest. Tarun Konduru’s legal team contended that he was not connected to the smuggling.
The DRI alleges that Konduru used his US passport to pass gold through Dubai Customs, claiming it was destined for cities like Geneva, Bangkok, and the US — a ruse that helped avoid detection during transit.