Guide poisons Everest climbers to stage fake rescues
Guides allegedly poisoned over 4,700 tourists to stage fake helicopter rescues to profit from insurance, in a $20 million fraud scheme.
On April 2, Nepal Police announced they had indicted 32 people involved in a large-scale helicopter rescue fraud network in the Everest region. Among them, 11 have been arrested, including owners of travel companies, helicopter operators, and hospital managers.
The investigation revealed the scale of this fraud network affected 4,782 international climbers during the 2022-2025 period. Police have discovered more than 300 fake rescue cases with total bills amounting to nearly $20 million, charged to tourists and insurance companies.
The scandal broke just as this year’s spring climbing season began in late March. Investigators identified this as an organized criminal ecosystem, involving many players, from Sherpa guides directly on the mountain to management of private hospitals in Kathmandu.
Previously, on January 25, six managers from rescue companies were arrested. This group was accused of profiting from insurance money by creating fake rescue records for foreign tourists citing health problems during expeditions. In reality, these rescues were unnecessary or non-existent.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police stated that this conduct caused serious damage to “Nepal’s national pride and reputation on the international stage.”
According to investigation documents, guides used various methods to force tourists to evacuate by helicopter. One common tactic was secretly mixing large amounts of baking powder into tourists’ food to cause digestive disorders. These symptoms were often mistaken for signs of altitude sickness. Other victims were given medications with excessive amounts of water to trigger pathological symptoms.
When tourists reported nausea, dizziness, or body aches, guides advised them to descend immediately and request emergency helicopter rescue at high cost. After evacuation, the suspects used fake medical records and flight logs to claim compensation from international travel insurance companies.
To maximize profits, operators would bill each passenger as if they were on separate flights, even though many were transported together. Hospitals also participated by creating fake treatment reports for tourists who never actually checked in.
Manoj Kumar KC, head of the Central Investigation Bureau, believed the cause of this situation was “lax enforcement measures.” When crimes went unpunished, the fraud group gained the opportunity to dominate the travel insurance market.
In response, some international insurance companies have threatened to stop providing services in Nepal if this situation is not thoroughly prevented.
The problem of fake rescues in Nepal is not new. In 2018, a large government investigation published a 700-page report exposing violations and promising radical reforms. However, these networks continued operating with increasingly sophisticated and systematic methods, leading to the current shocking scandal.
Reports from 2019 also indicated that some foreign tourists colluded with travel companies to fake acute altitude sickness, in order to receive free helicopter rides in exchange for discounted trekking tours. Travel companies would carefully check tourists’ insurance records before accepting them to ensure the helicopter company and intermediaries would be paid.
This response is AI-generated, for reference only.
The case is still in the investigation and trial phase. If new official information emerges, the situation may continue to change.
Main sources (based on publicly available information up to early April 2026):
Kathmandu Post, The New York Post, People.com, GearJunkie – detailed investigative reports on the scandal (March–April 2026).
Nepal Police (CIB) – announcement of the indictment of 32 individuals and preliminary investigation results.
Anadolu Agency, OCCRP – reports on the scale of the fraud and the methods using baking powder.
Reports from BBC, Reuters and other international news outlets on the impact on Nepal’s tourism industry.