A major fraud case linked to Mount Everest expeditions has come to light, with investigators alleging that trekking guides deliberately manipulated tourists’ health to trigger expensive helicopter evacuations. According to a report by the Kathmandu Post, the Nepal Police have charged 32 people, including trekking operators, helicopter staff, and hospital officials, in what is being described as a $20 million insurance scam.

The scheme reportedly revolved around staging medical emergencies. When trekkers showed signs of discomfort, helicopters would be called to airlift them to hospitals, after which insurance claims were filed. Authorities say the system was systematically abused in two key ways.

In one method, guides allegedly exaggerated the dangers of altitude sickness, convincing tourists that their lives were at risk even when their symptoms could have been managed with rest, hydration, or gradual descent. In some cases, investigators claim guides tampered with food by adding Diamox (Acetazolamide), a drug used to prevent altitude sickness, along with excessive water intake to induce symptoms that justified an emergency evacuation.

There are also allegations that some tourists were made ill on purpose. Guides are said to have mixed baking soda into food, causing severe stomach issues that resembled food poisoning or altitude sickness, making a helicopter rescue seem necessary.

The second approach involved cooperation from trekkers themselves. Those unwilling to make the physically demanding return journey were reportedly offered an easier option—pretend to be sick. Guides would then arrange helicopter rescues and manage the paperwork.

The fraud didn’t stop at the rescue stage. Although a single helicopter often carried multiple passengers, insurers were billed as if each individual had taken a separate flight. Fake flight records, including forged manifests and load sheets, were allegedly created to support these claims.

JUST IN: Mt. Everest guides accused of “poisoning” climbers to trigger helicopter rescues as part of an insurance scam.

The guides have allegedly been lacing hikers’ food and pressuring them into taking expensive rescue helicopter evacuations.

“Guides with the trekking agencies… pic.twitter.com/pd71ARinUt

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 1, 2026

Hospitals were also part of the operation, according to the investigation. Medical staff are accused of issuing false discharge summaries and using digital signatures of senior doctors without their knowledge. In some instances, supposed patients were even seen casually drinking beer in hospital cafeterias.

Authorities say the network managed to secure at least $19.69 million in insurance payouts through these practices. Of the 32 individuals charged, nine have been arrested while the rest remain on the run.

The issue of fraudulent rescue operations isn’t new. Back in 2018, a government panel had recommended stricter monitoring, including mandatory reporting of rescue flights and treatments to tourism and police authorities. However, those measures were never fully enforced.

The latest probe was launched after a complaint was filed by a citizen group called Deshbhakta Gen Z on September 26, 2025.

“The scam continued due to lax punitive action,” Manoj Kumar KC, chief of the Central Investigation Bureau, told the New York Post. “When there is no action against crime, it flourishes. The insurance scam too flourished as a result.”