US EditionNepal Charges 32 in $20M Everest Helicopter Rescue Scam
Police say guides, helicopter operators and hospital staff funneled at least $19.69 million in false insurance claims through staged rescues.
- On Wednesday, authorities revealed that Mount Everest guides allegedly poisoned tourists to trigger unnecessary helicopter evacuations as part of a $20 million insurance fraud scheme.
- Guides reportedly spiked hikers' food with baking powder to induce gastrointestinal distress mimicking altitude sickness, then pressured victims into costly helicopter rescues while operators billed insurers for fraudulent flights.
- The Central Investigation Bureau charged 32 individuals, including trekking operators and hospital staff, after identifying more than 300 fake rescue cases since 2022 that extracted nearly $20 million in payouts.
- Manoj Kumar, chief of the CIB, told authorities the fraud persisted due to "lax punitive action" against previous offenders; investigations continue into the network's systemic operations.
- Previous government reforms recommended in 2018 were never fully enforced, allowing the scam to continue; Nepal authorities now face pressure to protect the country's international prestige through stricter monitoring.
72 Articles
72 Articles
A total of 32 people have been charged. 11 suspects have since been arrested.
Mount Everest Climbers 'Poisoned' by Guides Prompting Mass Helicopter Rescues in $20 Million Insurance Fraud Scheme, Police Say
Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau reportedly found that some Mount Everest guides have been "poisoning" climbers as part of a scam that generated $20 million in insurance fraud. 32 guides have reportedly been charged in connection with the scheme, which impacted 4,782 climbers between 2022 and 2025,.
A new investigation revealed that the guides accompanying tourists climbing Mount Everest have allegedly been adultizing the food of climbers to trigger costly helicopter rescues, as part of an insurance scam of £15 million.
Nepal probe exposes $20M fraudulent rescue scheme involving lacing Mt Everest hikers' food: report
Insurance companies have been getting ripped off by fake rescue schemes in Nepal surrounding trekking in the nation where some venture to climb Mount Everest, according to a report.
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