Several kilograms of gold was caught near Kannada actress Ranya Rao at Kamphegowda International Airport in Bangalore. After getting such a large amount of gold, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started investigating the international gold smuggling network.
The Revenue Intelligence Directorate (DRI) caught the actress on Monday night with a 14.2 kg gold worth Rs 12.56 crore while returning from Dubai. With the suspicion of a large smuggling gang operated through various Indian airports, the CBI has registered a case and sent two teams to investigate at Bengaluru and Mumbai airports. Officials have indicated that the agency will investigate the possible involvement of customs, police and other government officials who may have helped in illegal trade.
An official familiar with the investigation told Hindustan Times that the CBI’s job is far ahead of identifying individual smugglers, as it aims to highly highlight the systemic flaws and corrupt networks enabling gold smuggling. The agency can later detain Ranya Rao to get more information about the goons behind the smuggling gang.
The DRI has allegedly warned the CBI about the presence of several similar smuggling networks that may operate at major airports in India. Officials believe that these networks are well organized and are often supported by the authorities at various levels, which makes it important to detect the entire range of operations.
Meanwhile, Ranya Rao, who was presented in court on Friday, was upset. The actress was reportedly upset and wept while talking to her legal team. He told his lawyers amidst tears, “I keep wondering why I got stuck in it. My mind is lost in the memories of the day spent at the airport. I cannot sleep … I am mentally disturbed.”
Soon after the arrest, Ranya Rao’s stepfather Ramchandra Rao expressed grief over the incident. The Director General of Police (DGP) of Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation told the media, “When such an incident came to my cognizance through the media, I got shocked and desperate. 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 not living with her husband, she is living separately with her husband, and some family issues should have some problems due to some family issues. There is no black spot. “
