Suspected smuggling network under investigation

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials suspect that a well-organized smuggling network is behind the arrest of Ranya Rao, who was detained for illegally smuggling gold. In the first week of March alone, six individuals were arrested at international airports in Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai for similar offenses.

According to DRI sources, these cases appear to be connected, prompting officials to share their findings with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On March 2, three suspects arriving from Myanmar at Delhi airport were caught with over 2 kg of gold hidden in their shoes. The next day, Ranya Rao was detained at Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport after authorities found 14 kg of gold in her possession. By March 6, two foreign nationals from UAE and Oman were arrested at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport with 21 kg of gold concealed in their belts.

Given the striking similarities, the DRI has alerted the CBI, which has previously collaborated with the agency on multiple smuggling cases.

In past investigations, the DRI and CBI worked together in cases such as the 2018 Delhi airport smuggling case, which led to corruption charges against customs officials in 2021. Similarly, a 2021 joint investigation exposed an extensive gold smuggling network, resulting in a CBI chargesheet against 30 individuals, including customs officers.

As authorities dig deeper, more arrests and revelations about the network behind these smuggling operations are expected.