A major scandal has rocked Nepal’s mountaineering industry after investigators uncovered a multi-crore insurance fraud scheme in which trekking guides allegedly made climbers ill to trigger costly helicopter rescues and claim insurance payouts.
According to Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau, at least 32 individuals — including trekking guides, helicopter operators and hospital staff — have been charged in connection with the racket, which is estimated to have generated nearly $20 million (around ₹185 crore) between 2022 and 2025.
Authorities allege that guides deliberately tampered with climbers’ food by mixing substances such as baking powder to induce symptoms resembling altitude sickness or food poisoning. In some cases, climbers were also reportedly given medication like Diamox along with excessive water to worsen symptoms and create the appearance of a medical emergency.
Once trekkers fell ill, they were persuaded or pressured into agreeing to emergency helicopter evacuations — a common but expensive rescue option in the high-altitude Himalayan terrain. These evacuations were then used to file inflated or entirely fake insurance claims with international insurers.
Investigators revealed that the fraud was systematic and involved multiple stakeholders. Helicopter companies allegedly billed insurers for rescues that were either unnecessary or never took place, while hospitals are accused of creating forged medical reports and admission records to support the claims. In some instances, a single helicopter carrying multiple passengers was billed as separate flights for each individual, significantly inflating costs.
The scam is believed to have affected thousands of foreign climbers, with police estimating that nearly 4,700 tourists were caught up in the fraudulent operations. Several companies have been named in the probe, with millions of dollars allegedly siphoned off through fake rescue missions and medical treatments.
The issue of fake helicopter rescues in Nepal’s trekking industry first came to light in 2018, prompting regulatory reforms. However, officials now say weak enforcement allowed the practice to persist and expand into a large-scale criminal network.
The revelations have raised serious concerns about tourist safety and ethics in Nepal’s adventure tourism sector, which attracts thousands of climbers each year to Mount Everest. The scandal is also expected to impact the country’s global reputation and could lead to stricter regulations and oversight in the future.
