The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized assets worth ₹34.12 crore belonging to Kannada actress Ranya Rao and her associates in connection with a gold smuggling and money laundering case. The ED's action is part of a money-laundering investigation into a larger gold-smuggling racket in India.
Ranya Rao was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport on March 3, 2025, upon her arrival from Dubai. DRI officials recovered 14.2 kg of gold bars worth ₹12.56 crore from her possession.
The ED initiated its investigation based on a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which in turn was based on a complaint by the DRI. The CBI FIR also pertained to the interception of two foreign nationals, an Omani and a UAE citizen, at the Mumbai International Airport with 21.28 kg of smuggled foreign-origin gold valued at ₹18.92 crore.
The attached assets include a house in Victoria Layout and a plot in Arkavathi Layout in Bengaluru, an industrial land in Tumkur, and an agricultural land in Anekal taluk. These assets have a combined fair market value of ₹34.12 crore. The ED said the attachment was carried out to prevent concealment or alienation of the tainted assets and secure the proceeds of crime.
The ED alleges that Ranya Rao orchestrated a well-structured operation with her associates for smuggling gold into India. The agency's investigation revealed that gold was procured from suppliers based in Dubai, Uganda, and other jurisdictions, and payments were made through hawala channels in cash, thereby circumventing legal financial systems. The smuggled gold was then sold within India for cash to jewelers and other local entities, and the proceeds were subsequently laundered through hawala remittances abroad to finance repeat consignments for smuggling more gold into India.
The ED has identified proceeds of crime worth ₹55 crore in the smuggling so far. This includes approximately ₹38.32 crore identified through the analysis of evidence gathered during the investigation, such as foreign invoices, customs declarations, and hawala-linked remittances.
During a search of Rao's residence after her arrest, authorities discovered ₹2.67 crore in unaccounted cash and gold jewelry worth ₹2.06 crore. The ED also stated that Ranya Rao was assisted at the airport upon her arrival in India, and the possible involvement of public servants in facilitating her illicit activities is under scrutiny.
The ED investigation revealed that dual sets of travel documents were used, one for the declared export destination and the other for their actual arrival in India, to evade scrutiny and facilitate smuggling through Indian airports. Forensic analysis of seized digital devices revealed coordination between Rao, foreign suppliers, hawala operators, and Dubai-based customs agents.
In her statement to the ED, Rao denied knowledge of the seized gold and other assets. However, the agency said her claims were demonstrably contradicted by seized physical evidence, including customs documents bearing her name, travel and purchase records, and digital conversations.
