@nativescript/imagepicker does not show selected image after app is build in release mode

I am having an issue now where @nativescript/imagepicker works perfectly when I do ns run android, wherein I am able to see the images in their respective folders and make a selection and the selected image is shown in my ui as the selected image. However, after I do a ns build releease .... the apk or aab file does not show the selected image. I am able to see the images list in their respective folders, make a selection but then it does not appear in my ui as selected, as If I had selected nothing. My package.json is as shown before:

"dependencies": {
"@nativescript-community/drawingpad": "^4.1.0",
"@nativescript-community/https": "^4.1.8",
"@nativescript-community/perms": "^2.3.0",
"@nativescript/appavailability": "^2.0.0",
"@nativescript/background-http": "^6.0.0",
"@nativescript/core": "~8.6.0",
"@nativescript/directions": "^2.0.2",
"@nativescript/email": "^2.1.0",
"@nativescript/imagepicker": "^3.0.1",
"@nativescript/social-share": "^2.3.0",
"@nativescript/theme": "~3.0.2",
"@nstudio/nativescript-carousel": "^8.0.3",
"@nstudio/nativescript-checkbox": "^2.0.5",
"@nstudio/nativescript-loading-indicator": "^4.3.4",
"@triniwiz/nativescript-image-cache-it": "^7.4.0",
"@triniwiz/nativescript-toasty": "^4.1.3",
"moment": "^2.30.1",
"nativescript-audio": "^6.2.6",
"nativescript-feedback": "^2.0.0",
...
},
"devDependencies": {
"@nativescript/android": "8.6.2",
"@nativescript/webpack": "~5.0.18"
}

and the relevant settings in my AndroidManifest are:

The relevant part of my app.gradle is:
android {
compileSdkVersion 33
buildToolsVersion "33"
defaultConfig {
minSdkVersion 23
targetSdkVersion 33
versionCode 10074
}

I am using open jdk 14.

Review the @nativescript/imagepicker dependency in package.json alongside AndroidManifest and app.gradle. Reproduce the difference between ns run android and ns build release, then trace the selection result in the release APK or AAB. Done means a selected image appears in the UI in release builds as it does during development.