Two additional individuals have been arrested in connection with a high-profile “fake rescue” scam in Nepal’s mountaineering sector, according to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police.
The latest arrests include 28-year-old Sandeep Tiwari, a representative of Royal Holidays Adventure and Travel Company in Thamel, and 56-year-old Rajendra Bahadur Singh, former vice-chairman of the Air Service Operators’ Association. Singh was detained Wednesday in Kathmandu, while Tiwari was arrested Tuesday in Dhading.
CIB Spokesperson Shiva Kumar Shrestha confirmed that a total of nine individuals have now been taken into custody, including operators and managers of trekking companies, rescue firms, hospitals, Nepal-based staff of foreign insurance companies, and shareholder-operators of helicopter companies.
Investigations revealed that the accused allegedly falsely claimed insurance payments by reporting fake rescues of foreign trekkers supposedly suffering health issues during high-altitude expeditions. These fraudulent claims provided the suspects with unlawful financial gains.
Initial complaints surfaced on January 25, prompting the arrest of six other individuals linked to the scam. These included operators and managers of Mountain Rescue Service Pvt Ltd, Nepal Chartered Service, and Everest Experience and Associates Pvt. Ltd. Investigators identified 171 suspicious rescues out of 1,248 conducted by Mountain Rescue Service, 75 out of 471 by Nepal Chartered Service, and 71 out of 601 by Everest Experience and Associates.
The accused allegedly arranged fake helicopter evacuations and hospital admissions, then submitted insurance claims totaling $19.69 million (approx. Rs. 2.87 billion).
The Ministry of Tourism had first formed a task force in 2018 to investigate similar allegations, but recent complaints indicated the scam persisted. The fresh investigation, prompted by whistleblower tips, has led to multiple arrests and further scrutiny of Nepal’s mountaineering and rescue operations.
Authorities continue to investigate the extent of the fraud and the involvement of additional parties within the trekking and insurance sectors.
