BENGALURU: More information has surfaced in connection with the arrest of Kannada actress Ranya Rao for smuggling gold worth Rs 12 crore through the Bengaluru International Airport. Her arrest was recorded by the Directorate of Intelligence officials. The officials seized 14.8 kg of gold from her. The actress was arrested Monday night. She was produced in the court yesterday and remanded to 14 days in judicial custody. She smuggled the gold by wearing a major portion of it and hid gold bars in her clothing.

The actress arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight. The actress was under surveillance due to her frequent international travel. The officials grew suspicious after noticing that she had travelled to Dubai four times in 15 days, prompting a targeted operation upon her return.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the actress tried to use her connections to evade customs checks. It is reported that the actress is the daughter of Karnataka Director General and has requested police for protection. It is being investigated whether the actress has any connections with other high-ranking officials. After registering their arrest, she was taken to the DRI headquarters in HBR Layout, Bengaluru, for further questioning. Ranya rose to prominence through the film Manikya, starring Kannada actor Sudeep.