Gold Smuggling: DGP's stepdaughter arrested at Bengaluru airport

A significant incident has unfolded involving Ranya Rao, the daughter of a high-ranking police officer, who was apprehended at Bengaluru airport on Monday night. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Ms. Rao after discovering 14.8 kg of gold in her possession.

This news has reportedly left her stepfather, Ramachandra Rao, Director-General of Police for the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation, both shocked and devastated.

Mr. Rao attempted to distance himself from his stepdaughter's actions, stating, "The law will do its job. There is no black mark on my career," as reported by ANI.

Expressing his surprise, he added, "Like any other father, I was shocked and devastated when it came to my notice through the media. I was not aware of any of these things."

He emphasized that Ms. Rao does not reside with them but lives separately with her husband, suggesting possible personal issues as a contributing factor.

Ranya Rao, who is known for her acting role opposite Kannada superstar Sudeep in the 2014 film 'Maanikya', was intercepted by the DRI after returning from Dubai on an Emirates flight.

She was allegedly attempting to smuggle the gold by wearing some of it and concealing the rest within her clothing. It has been reported that two aides also carried gold bars in briefcases.

Investigations revealed that Ms. Rao might have leveraged her connections to bypass security checks, introducing herself as the daughter of a DGP in Karnataka and seeking an escort from local police.

The authorities had been monitoring her activities due to the frequency of her travels to Dubai—four trips in 15 days—and seized the opportunity to catch her during this last trip.

The DRI team intervened just as she was about to clear customs. The gold, valued at approximately Rs. 12.56 crore, represents one of the largest seizures at Bengaluru airport in recent years.

Further searches conducted at her home on Lavelle Road in Bengaluru resulted in additional discoveries of Rs. 2.06 crore in gold jewelry and Rs. 2.67 crore in cash, totaling Rs. 17.29 crore involved in this case, significantly impacting organized gold smuggling networks.

The DRI has detained Ms. Rao under relevant provisions of the Customs Act, and she has been remanded to judicial custody.

The ongoing investigation seeks to uncover any possible connections with law enforcement officials or others who might have aided the smuggling attempt, and determine whether she was acting independently or as part of a larger network.