Kannada actress Ranya Rao, also known as Harhsavardini Ranya, was arrested on March 3 at the Bengaluru airport for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold from Dubai. During the investigation, it was revealed that Rao, 33, had used the US passport of her associate and co-accused, Telugu actor Tarun Raj Konduru (Virat Konduru), 30, to bypass Dubai's customs checks and pass the gold.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which arrested Rao, presented documents in a special court during her bail hearings last week, outlining the actress's past customs declarations in Dubai. These records indicated that Rao had claimed to be transporting the gold to Geneva during previous visits to the UAE.
The probe into the gold smuggling operation has raised serious concerns regarding the methods used to move large quantities of gold without detection. Both Rao and Konduru are facing legal action for their involvement in this alleged smuggling scheme.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)