Sat Jul 05 03:37:35 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a news article based on it.

**Summary:**

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in India has provisionally attached ₹34.12 crore worth of Ranya Rao’s properties in connection to a gold smuggling case. Rao was caught smuggling gold at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The ED investigation revealed a larger smuggling operation involving hawala transactions and false customs declarations. The attached properties are intended to prevent the concealment of illegal assets and secure the proceeds of the crime. The ED alleges Rao colluded with others to purchase gold from Dubai, Uganda, and other countries using hawala channels. The gold was sold within India, and the proceeds were laundered. Investigation continues.

**News Article:**

**ED Attaches ₹34 Crore in Assets in Gold Smuggling Case**

**Bengaluru, July 5, 2025:** The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has escalated its investigation into a major gold smuggling operation, provisionally attaching properties worth ₹34.12 crore belonging to Ranya Rao. Rao was apprehended at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on March 3, 2025, attempting to smuggle 14.12 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at ₹12.56 crore.

The ED alleges that Rao was part of a sophisticated smuggling network. According to the agency, the total proceeds of the crime are estimated at ₹55.62 crore, with evidence pointing to multiple smuggling trips from Dubai to Bengaluru. The funds were allegedly laundered by reinvesting proceeds into immovable assets, disguising the illicit origins of the funds.

The attached properties include a residential house in Victoria Layout, a residential plot in Arkavathi Layout, agricultural land in Anekal, and industrial land in Tumakuru district. The ED said the confiscation of assets is intended to prevent the concealment or alienation of the tainted assets and to secure the proceeds of crime.

The investigation revealed that Rao, in collusion with Tarun Konduru Raju and others, allegedly procured gold from suppliers in Dubai, Uganda, and other locations, making payments through hawala channels. Dual sets of travel documents and false customs declarations were used to evade detection. The smuggled gold was then sold to jewellers and other entities within India.

The ED’s investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on tracing the remaining proceeds of crime and identifying other individuals and entities involved in the smuggling syndicate. Digital evidence recovered from seized mobile phones, including invoices, export declarations, foreign remittance records, and recorded chats, allegedly corroborates Ranya Rao’s involvement with foreign gold suppliers and hawala operators.

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