CBI launches probe into gold smuggling racket following Ranya Rao’s arrest

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a probe into an international gold smuggling network following the arrest of Kannada actor Ranya Rao at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted the actress on Monday night with 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore while she was returning from Dubai.

With suspicions of a larger smuggling ring operating through various Indian airports, the CBI has registered a case and dispatched two teams to investigate at the Bengaluru and Mumbai airports. Officials indicate that the agency will scrutinize the possible involvement of customs, police, and other government officials who may have facilitated the illicit trade.


An official familiar with the investigation revealed to Hindustan Times that the CBI’s mandate extends beyond identifying individual smugglers, as it aims to uncover systemic lapses and corrupt networks that enable large-scale gold smuggling. The agency may take Ranya Rao into custody at a later stage to extract more details regarding the operatives behind the smuggling ring.
The DRI has reportedly alerted the CBI about the presence of multiple similar smuggling networks that could be operating across major airports in India. Authorities believe these networks are well-organized and often backed by officials at various levels, making it crucial to trace their entire chain of operations.
Meanwhile, Ranya Rao, who was produced in court on Friday, was seen in distress. The actress, reportedly overwhelmed, broke down while speaking with her legal team. “I keep thinking why did I get into it. My mind keeps going back to the day at the airport. I cannot sleep…I am having mental trauma,” she confided to her lawyers amid tears.
Soon after the arrest, Ranya Rao’s stepfather, Ramachandra Rao, expressed his shock. The Director General of Police (DGP) for the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation told the media, “I was shocked and devastated when such an incident came to my notice through the media. I was not aware of any of these things. Like any other father, I was also shocked. She is not living with us; she is living separately with her husband, and there must be some problem between them due to some family issues. The law will do its job. There is no black mark on my career.”