On April 2, Nepalese police confirmed that 32 individuals had been charged in connection with a large-scale helicopter rescue fraud network, including 11 who have already been arrested. Those detained include owners of travel companies, helicopter operators, and hospital administrators (according to media outlets Independent and America Online).

Between 2022 and 2025, the network affected 4,782 international climbers. More than 300 rescue cases were identified as fraudulent, with total bills of nearly $20 million charged to tourists and insurance companies.

Authorities described this as a highly organized criminal ecosystem, stretching from mountain guides (Sherpas) on Everest to executives at private hospitals in Kathmandu. Earlier, on January 25, six managers from rescue companies were also arrested for falsifying rescue records to claim insurance payouts.

The scheme was found to be particularly sophisticated. Guides allegedly mixed baking powder into tourists’ food, causing digestive issues that could easily be mistaken for altitude sickness.

In other cases, victims were reportedly given medication along with large amounts of water to trigger symptoms. Once tourists showed signs such as nausea, dizziness, or body aches, they were immediately advised to undergo emergency helicopter evacuation.

After transporting tourists down the mountain, the perpetrators used fake medical records and flight logs to file claims with international insurers. To maximize profits, each passenger was billed as if they had taken a private flight, even though multiple people were transported together. Hospitals cooperated by issuing fabricated treatment reports for individuals who had never actually been admitted.

Mr. Manoj Kumar KC, head of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), stated that the persistence of this scheme was due to lax enforcement, allowing fraudulent groups to manipulate the travel insurance market. He also warned that the scandal has seriously damaged Nepal’s international reputation.

In reality, fake rescue operations in Nepal are not a new issue. As early as 2018, a large-scale investigation released a 700-page report exposing widespread misconduct and promising reforms. However, these networks have continued to operate with increasingly sophisticated methods.

Notably, reports from 2019 also revealed that some foreign tourists colluded with travel companies, pretending to suffer from altitude sickness in order to receive free helicopter rides in exchange for discounted tour packages. Travel agencies even screened customers’ insurance policies in advance to ensure payout eligibility.

In light of the severity of the situation, several international insurance companies have threatened to withdraw services from Nepal if the issue is not decisively addressed.