Mount Everest guides have been accused of secretly drugging foreign climbers to trigger expensive aerial evacuations as part of a $20 million insurance fraud scheme. Operators of mountain rescue companies in Nepal have been arrested as part of a police operation, with a total of 32 people being charged and 11 arrests made so far. The scale of the scam appears to be vast, affecting 4,782 international climbers between 2022 and 2025. Police said more than 300 cases of alleged fake rescues have been uncovered, with bills totaling nearly $20 million charged to climbers and insurers. Investigators say the scam involved multiple actors across the trekking ecosystem, including sherpas, trekking company owners, helicopter operators and hospital executives. Investigators say guides used a range of methods to force helicopter evacuations, including faking medical emergencies and lacing food with large amounts of baking powder to stimulate gastric distress commonly associated with altitude sickness. Others were given medications with excessive amounts of water to trigger symptoms. After trekkers reported nausea, dizziness or body aches, they were advised to descend and agree to costly emergency helicopter evacuations. Authorities said operators then used forged medical and flight documents to claim costs from international travel insurers.
