A vast criminal network spanning trekking companies, medical facilities, and aviation firms is accused of poisoning tourists to stage fake emergencies and pocket millions from insurers.
For years, Nepal’s famous mountain trails have attracted adventurers from across the globe. Now, prosecutors allege that many of those visitors were unwitting victims of a calculated scheme: guides deliberately made them ill by sneaking baking soda into their meals, triggering severe digestive symptoms that resembled altitude sickness or food poisoning.
Once the trekkers were too sick to refuse, the guides pressured them into accepting helicopter evacuations. Authorities say the operators then created phony medical reports and flight logs to bill international travel insurers for the costly non-existent emergencies. The illicit proceeds were shared among the guides, helicopter firms, trekking agencies, and participating hospitals.
A detailed charge sheet was submitted to the Kathmandu District Court, accusing 32 individuals of organized crime and fraud. Nine suspects appeared before the court on Sunday, while 23 others remain fugitives.
“The court is giving top priority to this high-profile corruption case,” said Dipak Kumar Shrestha, a court spokesperson, confirming that proceedings are ongoing.
The investigation, which spanned months, uncovered a staggering operation. Police records indicate the group fraudulently obtained at least $19.69 million in insurance payouts. The Mountain Rescue Service P.Ltd. alone was implicated in 171 suspicious evacuations out of 1,248 it handled, generating an estimated $10.3 million in collaboration with local hospitals.
The Nepal Charter Service P. Ltd. allegedly siphoned roughly $8.2 million, while Everest Experience and Assistance P.Ltd. is believed to have pocketed about $1.1 million.
Prosecutors are seeking total fines of 1.51 billion Nepalese rupees, approximately $11.3 million, with individual penalties varying by involvement.
The scandal has long tarnished Nepal’s reputation in the global adventure tourism industry. Several major international insurers, including Travellers Assists, have stopped offering coverage for trekkers in Nepal due to the widespread fraud.
Despite a government probe panel formed in 2018 following media reports, its findings were never released, and the implicated companies faced no consequences. The current charges mark the first serious legal action in this long-running saga.