Nepalese authorities have accused Everest guides of secretly poisoning foreign climbers to trigger costly helicopter evacuations. Investigations revealed that this operation, which allegedly ran from 2022 to 2025, affected over 4,700 tourists and resulted in fraud amounting to approximately $20 million.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Nepal reported discovering more than 300 instances of suspected fraudulent rescue operations involving 4,782 foreign climbers. As part of the ongoing investigation, 32 individuals have been charged, with 11 arrests made, including the first six operators and managers of rescue companies detained on January 25.
According to investigators, the scheme involved Sherpa guides, trekking company owners, helicopter operators, and hospital administrators. It is alleged that guides added substances such as baking soda, spoiled chicken, and even rat droppings to climbers’ food to induce gastrointestinal issues mimicking altitude sickness. Tourists were also given medications mixed with excessive water to provoke nausea and dizziness.
When climbers reported feeling unwell, they were advised to descend and accept costly helicopter evacuations. Operators inflated charges, billing each passenger as if they were on separate flights, even when multiple individuals were evacuated together. Hospitals allegedly produced fake hospitalization documents, sometimes for tourists who did not receive any medical care.
These forged medical and flight documents were used to collect payments from international insurance companies, with rescue firms reportedly receiving around $20 million in total.
The CBI stated that these crimes have harmed Nepal’s “national pride and dignity” on the international stage. This scandal is not the first of its kind in the country; a 2018 investigation by the Kathmandu Post uncovered a similar network of fraudulent rescue operations. Following that report, the government prepared a 700-page document promising reforms in the sector, yet fraudulent practices persisted. Manoj Kumar, head of the CBI, attributed this ongoing issue to the “lenient penalties” for such crimes.
Insurance companies have previously threatened to withdraw coverage for Nepal if the fraud does not cease. This latest scandal has drawn increased scrutiny toward the activities of tour operators as the spring climbing season approaches, set to begin on March 30.
Nepalese police have unveiled a fraudulent scheme involving Everest guides who allegedly poisoned climbers to facilitate expensive helicopter rescues. The investigation has led to multiple arrests and raised concerns over tourism safety in the region as the climbing season approaches.
Source: The Independent