Sherpas accused of poisoning tourists for insurance payouts

According to the Independent, Nepali police have accused mountain Sherpas on Mount Everest of orchestrating a scheme to drug foreign climbers in order to trigger costly air evacuations. Investigators say the operation amounted to an insurance fraud worth around $20 million.

The case involved multiple actors, including Sherpas, trekking and rescue operators, helicopter pilots and medical facilities.

Police have so far charged 32 people, with 11 arrested. The scheme is said to have affected 4,782 mountaineers between 2022 and 2025 and to have involved more than 300 suspected rescues, for which those involved claimed compensation from insurers.

According to police, the guides used various methods to induce health problems, including adding baking powder to food or administering medication with excessive amounts of water. Tourists then developed symptoms resembling altitude sickness and agreed to evacuation by helicopter.

After the rescues, organisers allegedly falsified medical reports and flight records and billed insurers exorbitant sums, often as if each climber had flown separately. Some hospitals are also said to have issued fictitious treatment reports.

According to Nepal’s Central Bureau of Investigation, the case has damaged the country’s international reputation.

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