Days after Ranya Rao was arrested in Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport for attempting to smuggle gold into the country, the actress has confessed to her crime. Rao admitted to carrying “17 gold bars” on her person in a confession given to the revenue officials, according to NDTV.
Rao, who arrived at the airport from Dubai via an Emirates flight, also divulged that she had travelled to other countries. "I have travelled to Europe, America, and (the) Middle East and have visited Dubai, Saudi Arabia. I wish to state that I am tired at present as I did not get enough rest," her statement read.
In her confession, the actress also disclosed her family details, stating that her father is K.S. Hegdesh, a real estate businessman, and her husband is Jatin Hukkeri, an architect. Rao is the step-daughter of Karnataka DGP K. Ramachandra Rao, who denied having any involvement in the smuggling racket and distanced himself from the same.
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Rao came under the radar of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) due to her frequent round trips to Dubai – 27 in the past year. According to Times of India, earlier trips showed that Rao was always accompanied by an officer who assisted her in bypassing security checks, with a government vehicle waiting to pick her up.
Since the DRI received a tip-off of her activities, the officials were able to detain her just as she exited the airport, and found her in possession of 14.2kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore. The investigation extended to her Bengaluru abode, where she resides with her husband, where police uncovered gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore.
As a result of the major bust, the actress was arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act of 1962 and has been remanded to judicial custody till March 18.
