Nepalese police have arrested operators of a number of mountain rescue companies, accused along with a number of guides of secretly drugging foreign climbers to create expensive rescues, many covered by insurance.
Police say there have been 11 arrests, with at least 20 more to come; they say that 4,782 international climbers were affected between 2022 and 2025. Similar charges were made in 2018 and 2019. The Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau said the situation had harmed “Nepal’s national pride, prestige and dignity internationally.”
According to officials, some victims were fed food laced 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.
Payouts for unnecessary rescues, often by helicopter, raked in over $20 million for the schemers. That includes some that were billed but did not take place, and some where several cases shared a helicopter but each was billed as if they were separate operations.
