By Thamanna Sadique
Multiple international flights by Ranya Rao to Dubai and Malaysia during the past several months became the reason for the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to take notice. Sources indicate that Kannada actor bound 14 gold bars to her thighs using tape and bandages in an attempt to outsmart Customs Examination at Bengaluru International Airport.
Rao (33) was arrested by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials at the airport based on their information that she carried illegal shipments with her. Rao, the stepdaughter of a senior DGP-rank Karnataka IPS officer, was detained at the moment of her arrival.
The DRI has confirmed the discovery of gold on the actress through physical examination although speculations claim the gold was concealed in the jacket she wore. A statement from DRI indicated that examination of Rao during arrest revealed 14.2 kg of gold bars ingeniously hidden on her person because she had arrived in India from Dubai on March 3 on an Emirates flight.
Sources claim Rao managed to hide fourteen 1-kilogram gold bars under tape and crepe bandages placed on her thighs which she concealed with her pants.
The DRI described this case as one of the largest gold seizures at Bengaluru International Airport in recent times while investigating if Rao had done similar deliveries previously.
They grew suspicious after noticing Rao’s frequent travel pattern to Dubai and Malaysia from January to March because she visited these countries once every week for 10 days. Their investigations eventually triggered intelligence information about a substantial gold consignment arriving on March 3.
When she arrived on international flights at Bengaluru airport she used VIP channels to exit while a protocol official acted as her receipt and skipper her through simplified entry customs instead of standard airport procedures.
The architect husband of Rao, Jatin Kukkeri, met her at Bengaluru International Airport on Monday following their marriage four months ago. Rao’s stepfather, who is a senior IPS officer, stated that he cut contact with her after her marriage to Hukkeri.