Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case deepens with new findings by DRI

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), currently investigating the gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao, has uncovered that she had previously smuggled approximately 14.56 kg of gold into India. The illegal operation resulted in a customs duty loss of ₹4.45 crore to the exchequer. Ranya Rao was reportedly assisted by Sahil Sakariya Jain, who played a key role in selling the smuggled gold within the country. The revelations have intensified the probe, with authorities now looking deeper into the smuggling network.According to The Indian Express report, the third accused, Sahil Sakariya Jain, was actively involved in selling the smuggled gold and managing hawala transactions. Investigations indicate that he helped Ranya Rao dispose of the gold seized from her on March 3. Communication records reveal that Ranya had contacted Jain through her Dubai phone number to discuss ways to handle the contraband. Jain's involvement in multiple instances of gold smuggling makes him a crucial link in the syndicate. Authorities arrested him on Wednesday as part of the ongoing crackdown.As per the same report, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has been granted extended custody of Sahil Jain to investigate his role further. The probe revealed that Jain received a commission of Rs 55,000 for facilitating purchases of smuggled gold. The DRI is also investigating links between Jain and other individuals involved in the smuggling syndicate.Further investigation has revealed that Ranya had smuggled gold on multiple occasions. One of the most significant incidents was on January 11, when she successfully brought in 14.56 kg of gold, valued at ₹11.55 crore. With Jain’s assistance, she managed to sell it, leading to a substantial customs duty loss of ₹4.46 crore. The authorities are now tracking more instances of smuggling linked to her, as the scale of the operation appears larger than initially suspected.Ranya Rao was arrested by DRI officials on March 3 at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru while attempting to smuggle 14.8 kg of gold from Dubai. The arrest followed a tip-off about her involvement in smuggling operations. A special team was deployed at the airport, and she was taken into custody immediately upon landing. With more details surfacing, the case has taken a serious turn, prompting strict action against those involved. On the work front, Ranya Rao was last seen in the film 'Pataki' which was directed by Manju Swaraj, starring Ganesh in the lead. Meanwhile, Actor Ranya Rao has now moved the Karnataka High Court seeking bail. As per a Moneycontrol report, an investigation also revealed that Ramachandra Rao, her stepfather, was aware that Ranya had received protocol assistance and used his official car on multiple occasions from the airport. However, the report found no concrete evidence linking him directly to arranging these services for gold smuggling purposes. While he knew about the protocol services being extended to Ranya, there was no indication that these were used for illegal activities.