Nepal Rescue Scam: Guides Accused of Poisoning Climbers for Profit

Nepali authorities have charged 32 individuals in connection with a $20 million insurance fraud scheme involving the fabrication of emergency helicopter rescues for foreign climbers on Mount Everest and throughout the trekking ecosystem in Nepal.

The investigation, led by the Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), alleges that the scam operated between 2022 and 2025. The scheme involved a network of actors, including trekking guides, tour managers, rescue coordinators, helicopter operators, and hospital executives, who collaborated to trigger unnecessary aerial evacuations to claim insurance payouts.

According to police, the scale of the operation affected 4,782 international climbers, with more than 300 cases of fake rescues uncovered. The fraudulent bills charged to climbers and their insurers totaled nearly $20 million.

Details of the Fraudulent Operation

The fraud was executed by organizing unnecessary helicopter flights for clients who were not in emergency situations. To justify these flights to insurance companies, the participants allegedly forged passenger manifests and manipulated medical records.

The legal proceedings began on March 22, when charges were filed against 32 people in the Kathmandu District Court under the Organized Crime Prevention Act. The investigation initially gained momentum in January 2026, when six operators and managers from rescue companies were arrested on January 25.

Police reports indicate that three prominent mountain rescue firms were central to the activity. One company is accused of faking 171 out of 1,248 claimed rescues, resulting in over $10 million in illegitimate payouts. A second company allegedly fabricated 75 of 471 claims for $8 million, and a third company allegedly made 71 false claims worth more than $1 million.

The illicit profits were reportedly split among the guides, trekking agencies, helicopter companies, and the hospitals where tourists were taken for fake treatments. Prosecutors are currently seeking total fines of $11.3 million.

Conflicting Reports on Poisoning Allegations

A significant point of contention has emerged regarding the methods used to force these evacuations. Some investigators and media reports claim that guides secretly drugged or poisoned climbers to simulate medical emergencies. Specifically, it is alleged that guides laced food with large amounts of baking powder or baking soda to induce gastric distress and gastrointestinal symptoms that mimic altitude sickness or food poisoning.

Other reports suggest that some climbers were given medications, such as acetazolamide (Diamox), combined with excessive amounts of water to trigger dehydration or other symptoms that would justify a costly helicopter rescue.

However, these specific allegations of poisoning have been disputed. A review of the 748-page charge sheet filed in the Kathmandu District Court indicates that while there is ample evidence for insurance fraud and forged documentation, there is no forensic evidence to support the claims of poisoning or the intentional lacing of food.

The charge sheet highlights evidence of fraud particularly within three Kathmandu hospitals, where at least nine doctors have accused the scammers of forging their signatures on medical documents.

Impact on Nepal’s Reputation

The Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau stated that these offenses have caused harm to Nepal’s national pride, prestige and dignity internationally.

The revelation of the scam has brought increased scrutiny to tour operators and guides as the spring climbing season began on March 30, 2026.