New Delhi: Kannada actress Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling racket spanned from Africa to Dubai and eventually extended to India. While she initially incurred a loss of ₹2 crore, she and her associates subsequently joined forces to generate earnings exceeding ₹100 crore within a single year.
On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet in Bengaluru in connection with a money laundering case. The chargesheet also names the actress’s alleged associate, Tarun Konduru, and Sahil Sakariya Jain a gold dealer hailing from Bellary. The racket came to light when Ranya Rao arrived at Bengaluru Airport from Dubai and was subsequently arrested. Authorities seized 14.2 kilograms of gold biscuits from her possession, valued at ₹12.56 crore.
Racket Operated by Ranya Rao and Tarun Konduru
Details emerging from the investigation reveal that the racket operated by Ranya Rao and Tarun Konduru was a sophisticated international network. They initiated the operation by attempting to procure gold from Africa. The idea struck them upon learning that the majority of gold sold in the Dubai market originates from mines in Africa. Acting on this information, they established a company in Dubai named ‘Veera Diamonds Trading LLC’ and began scouting for gold sources in countries such as Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
They struck a deal with an agent in Uganda named ‘Ben’ to procure an initial consignment (trial shipment) of 5 kilograms of gold. It was agreed that if this shipment arrived safely, they would proceed with a larger transaction involving 50 kilograms of gold. Ranya Rao and Tarun Konduru paid Ben an advance of $25,000 (approximately ₹23.5 lakh). Subsequently, they made two additional advance payments totalling ₹9.4 lakh to cover taxes and other levies. However, that consignment of gold never reached them.
In January 2024, Tarun Konduru travelled to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. At the refinery, he was shown the gold; however, he was asked to pay an additional ₹1.7 crore to secure its release. It was only then that both of them realised the entire affair was a massive scam. Consequently, they incurred a financial loss exceeding ₹2 crore.
Ranya Rao and Tarun Konduru Began Purchasing Gold from African Dealers
Following this, Ranya Rao and Tarun Konduru began purchasing gold from African dealers operating at the ‘Deira Gold Souk’ in Dubai. All gold transactions at this location were conducted exclusively in cash. To purchase the gold, Ranya Rao would carry large sums of cash with her to the market. Konduru would file fraudulent customs declarations, falsely claiming that the gold was being shipped from Dubai to a third country, such as Switzerland or Thailand.
Instead, Rao would collect the gold at Dubai Airport, conceal it on her person, and smuggle it into India. Between March 2024 and March 2025, Rao made approximately 15 trips from Dubai to India, bringing back 127.87 kilograms of gold valued at approximately ₹102 crore. This gold was subsequently sold to various jewelers and dealers across India.
She was not subjected to security checks at Bengaluru Airport because she was the stepdaughter of a senior police officer; consequently, she was able to easily bypass customs inspections due to VIP protocol. The Directorate of Enforcement has seized assets belonging to Rao worth over ₹34 crore. The investigative agency is currently conducting a thorough probe into the entire network.
