The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has temporarily seized immovable assets estimated at Rs 34.12 Crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with an international gold smuggling and money laundering case involving Harshavardini Ranya aka Ranya Rao and her associates, according to a statement from the agency. The properties seized are located in the Bengaluru and Tumkur regions of Karnataka. These actions were executed in accordance with Section 5(1) of the PMLA as the properties are believed to be equivalent in value to the illicit proceeds identified during the investigation.

The ED’s inquiry was initiated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The actress was found with 21.28 kg of smuggled gold of foreign origin, valued at Rs 18.92 Crore in the Bengaluru airport. The investigation by the ED has uncovered that Ranya Rao collaborated closely with Tarun Konduru Raju and others to execute a well-organized scheme for smuggling gold into India. The gold was sourced from suppliers in locations such as Dubai, Uganda, and other areas, with payments being made through hawala methods in cash, thus avoiding the regulated financial system.

As per the release, fraudulent customs documentation was submitted in Dubai, erroneously indicating Switzerland or the USA as the gold shipment destinations, while the true endpoint was India. To avoid detection and facilitate smuggling at Indian airports, dual sets of travel documents were utilized—one set for the declared export location and a second for their arrival in India.