Bengaluru: Customs has imposed penalties totalling Rs 270.8 crore on actor Harshavardini Ranya aka Ranya Rao and three others, holding that they were part of a gold-smuggling syndicate that brought more than 127kg of the yellow metal worth Rs 102.5 crore into India between March 2024 and March 2025.In an order issued on Sept 30, Sandeep Gunjal, the joint commissioner, airport, Bengaluru, held Ranya responsible for the entire consignment and imposed a Rs 102.5-crore penalty on her. Tarun Konduru Raju was fined Rs 62.1 crore, while Sahil Sakariya Jain and Bharath Kumar Jain were each fined Rs 53.1 crore.The case stems from the seizure of 14.2kg of gold worth Rs 12.6 crore from Ranya on March 3, 2025, after she arrived in Bengaluru from Dubai. The gold was concealed around her calves and waist, in her trouser pockets and inside her shoes.The order described Ranya as the prime accused. Customs further alleged that Raju handled documentation and the handover of gold on the Dubai side, while Sahil and Bharath were involved in disposing of the gold in India and arranging payments through hawala transactions.A subsequent search of Ranya’s Lavelle Road residence yielded nearly Rs 2.7 crore in cash and jewellery and other valuables worth Rs 2.1 crore. Customs ordered confiscation of the seized gold, cash and other items, maintaining those were proceeds from the sale of smuggled gold.The larger case involves 14 earlier smuggled consignments totalling more than 113kg of gold, which could not be physically seized by Customs.The adjudicating authority said it relied on more than 16 hours of airport CCTV footage, 152 documents and other digital and financial evidence while passing the order.The four can appeal against the order before the Commissioner of Customs (Appeals) within 60 days of its communication.Points for GFX:* Rs 102.5 crore: Value of 127kg+ smuggled gold* Rs 102.5 crore: Penalty imposed on Ranya Rao* Rs 62.1 crore: Penalty on Tarun Konduru Raju* Rs 53.1 crore each: Penalties on Sahil Sakariya Jain and Bharath Kumar Jain* Rs 12.6 crore: Value of 14.2kg gold seized from Ranya on March 3, 2025* 14 earlier consignments of more than 113kg smuggled gold could not be physically seized* More than 16 hrs of CCTV footage, 152 documents and digital evidence used to nail the 4 accused
