They convinced tourists that they were at risk of death. They made millions on medical evacuations
In Nepal, millions of dollars were extorted from international insurers on a massive scale. For this purpose, a practice of false medical evacuations was created.
Fake rescue operations at high altitudes in Nepal were first publicized in 2018. A few months after the practice was revealed, the government established a commission of inquiry, which prepared a 700-page report and announced reforms. In 2025, Nepal’s Central Bureau of Investigation reopened the case and discovered that the fraud had not stopped – on the contrary, it had intensified because the sanctions were too low. The mechanism was to stage a medical emergency and call in a helicopter.
They spent two weeks climbing to the Everest base camp. They returned by helicopter, simulating illness
The tourist was admitted to hospital and then an insurance claim was filed. It was difficult for foreign insurers operating in Australia or Great Britain to verify the events that took place at an altitude of three thousand meters. m in a remote Himalayan valley and where there is no mobile network coverage. The first situation involved, for example, completing a demanding hike to the Everest base camp, which could take up to two weeks.
The guides offered the tourist an alternative: pretending to be sick and calling a helicopter. The guide took care of the rest. The second method concerned altitude sickness. Its mild symptoms may appear above three thousand. m. It’s about tingling in the hands and feet and headaches. In most cases, rest, hydration or a gradual descent will be enough. However, guides and hotel staff were trained to scare tourists.
They were supposed to be healing, but in fact they were drinking beer. Tourists added baking powder to their food
They convinced tourists that they were at risk of death and only immediate evacuation could save them – describes The Kathmandu Post. In some cases, diamox tablets used to prevent altitude sickness were administered with excessive water consumption to cause symptoms that would warrant calling for help. In at least one case, baking powder was added to a tourist’s food to make him feel unwell.
This one helicopter was called and carried many passengers. However, invoices were sent to insurance companies as if each tourist had a separate, dedicated flight. Charter for four thousand. dollars turned into a claim for PLN 12,000. hole. The hospital used digital signatures of senior doctors, often without their knowledge. Among other things, false admission cards of patients who were supposed to be undergoing treatment, but in reality, for example, they were drinking beer in the hospital cafeteria.
Fake medical evacuations in Nepal. They extorted millions from international insurers
In one case, a hospital administrative employee provided his own X-ray result from an X-ray examination performed about a year earlier at another hospital to use as a basis for treating foreign mountain tourists for insurance compensation. Hospitals paid 20-25 percent. tour companies and the same amount to rescue helicopter operators. Tourists were sometimes offered financial incentives for participating in such activities.
In the years 2022 – 2025, 171 cases of false rescue operations and frauds from insurers of approximately USD 10.31 million were confirmed at one of the companies. Another company carried out 75 such actions, demanding USD 8.2 million, and yet another 71, demanding USD 11.04 million. The Nepal Central Bureau of Investigation on March 12, 2026, filed charges against 32 people. Nine people were arrested.
