Kannada actor Ranya Rao, who was arrested on March 3 at the Bengaluru airport for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold from Dubai, used the US passport of her associate and co-accused, Telugu actor Tarun Raj Konduru (Virat Konduru), 30, to bypass Dubai’s customs checks, according to investigation findings.
Documents presented during Ranya Rao's bail hearings revealed she had declared to Dubai customs that she was transporting gold to Geneva. Two customs declaration documents, dated November 13 and December 20, 2024, found at the actress's residence after her arrest, showed that she had falsely stated she was moving gold to Geneva when, in fact, she was smuggling it into India.
Investigations have revealed the involvement of a well-organised syndicate operating in both India and Dubai, employing sophisticated methods to conceal the illegal transfer of substantial amounts of gold into India through customs duty evasion.
Ranya Rao is accused of evading Rs 4.83 crore in customs duties while attempting to smuggle 14.2 kg of gold, valued at Rs 12.56 crore, into Bengaluru. Following her arrest, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) also seized Rs 2.67 crore in cash and Rs 2.07 crore worth of jewellery from the actress's residence.
While Ranya Rao claimed to have received the 14.2 kg gold consignment from an unknown person outside the Dubai airport, the investigation suggests that she was actively involved in the operation. The probe indicates that the actress may have purchased the gold from a supplier in Dubai and had it declared under Konduru’s name, using purchase documents. The consignments were reportedly declared to Dubai customs as being destined for Geneva, rather than India.
According to the DRI, Konduru’s Dubai visits coincided with Rao’s travels, and the gold was declared in his name because his US passport allowed him visa-free entry to Geneva, where US citizens are granted a 90-day tourist visa. Investigators are now examining whether the actors purchased air tickets for Geneva specifically to clear Dubai customs, but instead travelled to India, with Rao concealing the contraband in an attempt to bypass Indian customs checks.
The two arrested actors – Ranya Rao and Konduru – who have known each other for over a decade, are reported to have been partners in a diamond trading company in the UAE and much of the Dubai document work for gold consignments was allegedly done using the firm.
Konduru, who is part of a prominent Andhra-origin Bengaluru business family with interests in hospitality, education, power and cable TV sectors, debuted as a hero in the 2018 film Parichayam. He was arrested on March 9, following Ranya’s arrest on March 3.
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