In her statement to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ranya Rao explained that she traveled abroad often and how she smuggled the gold. She also mentioned that this was the first time she had smuggled gold from Dubai.
Actor Ranya Rao, who is in the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), told officials during questioning that it was the first time she smuggled gold from Dubai. She also said she received calls from unknown numbers and learned how to hide gold by watching YouTube videos.
Rao, the stepdaughter of Karnataka DGP K Ramachandra Rao, was arrested at Bengaluru airport while trying to smuggle 14.2 kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore. The gold was hidden in the form of biscuits strapped to her body.
“I received a call from a foreign phone number on March 1. I had been receiving calls from unknown foreign numbers for the past two weeks. I was instructed to go to Gate A at Terminal 3 of Dubai Airport. I was told to collect the gold at Dubai Airport and deliver it in Bengaluru,” she said.
“This was the first time I smuggled gold from Dubai to Bengaluru. I have never brought or purchased gold from Dubai before,” Rao said, changing what she had said earlier to DRI officials.
Ranya Rao revealed that she bought crepe bandages and scissors at the airport and attached the gold bars to her body in a restroom.
“The gold was in two plastic-covered packets. I attached the gold bars to my body in the airport restroom. I hid the gold in my jeans and shoes. I learnt how to do this from YouTube videos,” Rao to the revenue intelligence officers.
However, she denied knowing who the caller or instructor was. “I am not entirely sure who called me. The caller had an African-American accent,” she said.
“He handed over the gold bars after a security check,” she told the revenue intelligence officers and said he quickly left after giving her the gold bars. “I never met or saw him again. The man was around 6 feet tall and fair-skinned,” she said.
“I was instructed to deliver the gold bars to an unknown person,” she replied, when asked who was supposed to receive the smuggled gold at Bengaluru. She said she was “told to go to the service road after the airport toll gate” and “was supposed to put the gold in an autorickshaw near the signal,” but wasn’t “given the autorickshaw’s number.”
The DRI continued the investigation even though Rao didn’t provide any details about the smuggling group. Using data from Ranya’s phone and laptop, the DRI was able to track down the members of the group.
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