Guides in Nepal are accused of poisoning Everest climbers as part of a massive insurance fraud scheme designed to trigger fake helicopter rescues, according to authorities.
On April 2, Nepal police announced charges against 32 people allegedly linked to a large-scale rescue scam in the Everest region. Eleven suspects have already been arrested, including owners of trekking companies, helicopter operators, and hospital administrators.
Investigators say the scheme affected 4,782 international climbers and trekkers between 2022 and 2025. Police uncovered more than 300 fake or unnecessary rescue cases, with bills totaling nearly $20 million charged to tourists and international insurance providers.
The scandal erupted just as Nepal’s spring climbing season began in late March. Authorities say the fraud ring operated like an organized criminal network, stretching from Sherpa guides on the mountain to executives at private hospitals in Kathmandu.
Earlier, on January 25, six rescue company managers were arrested in connection with the case. They were accused of filing false rescue claims for foreign climbers under the pretense of medical emergencies during expeditions. In reality, police say many of the evacuations were either unnecessary or completely fabricated.
Nepal’s Central Investigation Bureau said the operation has seriously damaged the country’s international reputation and national pride.
According to the investigation, guides used several methods to force climbers into emergency evacuations. One of the most common tactics allegedly involved secretly mixing large amounts of baking powder into tourists’ food, causing severe stomach problems. Those symptoms could then be mistaken for altitude sickness. Other victims were reportedly given medications along with excessive amounts of water to trigger further physical distress.
Once climbers began reporting nausea, dizziness, or body aches, guides allegedly urged them to descend immediately and called for expensive emergency helicopter evacuations. After the flights, the suspects are accused of using falsified medical reports and fake flight logs to seek reimbursement from international travel insurers.
To maximize profits, helicopter operators allegedly billed each passenger as if they had flown on separate private rescue flights, even when multiple people were transported together. Hospitals were also accused of helping by creating false treatment records for tourists who were never actually admitted.
Manoj Kumar KC, chief of Nepal’s Central Investigation Bureau, said the fraud was allowed to grow because enforcement measures were too weak. When such crimes are not punished properly, he said, criminal groups gain more room to manipulate the travel insurance market.
As the scandal unfolds, some international insurers have reportedly threatened to stop offering coverage in Nepal unless authorities crack down on the fraud for good.
Fake rescue schemes in Nepal are not new. In 2018, a major government investigation produced a 700-page report exposing widespread abuse and promising sweeping reforms. But investigators say the networks continued operating with even more sophisticated methods, leading to the current scandal.
Reports dating back to 2019 also suggested that some foreign tourists had colluded with trekking companies by pretending to suffer from acute altitude sickness in exchange for free helicopter rides and discounted expedition packages. Travel companies were said to check customers’ insurance policies in advance to ensure helicopter firms and other intermediaries would get paid.