KATHMANDU — Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has arrested six individuals connected to three well-known mountain rescue and helicopter service companies for allegedly staging false emergency evacuations to collect insurance payouts from foreign providers, according to local media reports.
Authorities say the scheme targeted foreign trekkers and climbers in Nepal’s high-altitude regions, including popular trekking destinations such as Everest and Annapurna. Operators allegedly fabricated medical emergencies, produced fraudulent medical reports and invoices, and falsely presented routine charter flights as urgent rescue missions.
Investigators allege that in some cases, a single helicopter flight was billed multiple times under different emergency claims, significantly inflating costs. A standard Kathmandu–Lukla flight, typically valued at around $2,500, was reportedly invoiced for as much as $31,000 through repeated false claims. Private hospitals are also suspected of providing fake documentation to support the fraudulent insurance submissions.
According to Everest Chronicle, the arrested individuals include Jayaram Rimal and Vivek (Bibek) Pandey of Mountain Rescue Service Pvt Ltd; Rabindra Adhikari and Bibek Raj Thapaliya of Nepal Charter Service Pvt Ltd; and Mukti Pandey and Subhash KC of Everest Experience and Assistance Pvt Ltd.
The suspects were detained on Sunday following court-issued warrants. Authorities say additional complaints involving other alleged fake rescues continue to surface, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The six face charges related to crimes against national interest, organized criminal profiteering, and money laundering, with police indicating further arrests are possible as the probe expands.
Investigators allege Mountain Rescue Service falsely recorded 171 fake rescues out of 1,248 operations, securing more than $10 million in fraudulent claims. Nepal Charter Service is accused of staging 75 fake rescues among 471 operations, collecting about $8.2 million, while Everest Experience and Assistance allegedly carried out 71 suspicious evacuations out of 601, receiving approximately $1.15 million. Altogether, the suspected fraud totals $19.69 million, according to Onlinekhabar.
CIB chief Manoj KC said a two-and-a-half-month investigation uncovered what he described as “organized and systematic fraud,” involving multiple insurance claims for the same incident, non-emergency flights disguised as rescues, and falsified medical billing. The case emerged following complaints from international insurance companies and earlier media investigations highlighting long-standing irregularities in Nepal’s rescue sector.
Fake helicopter rescues have troubled Nepal’s adventure tourism industry for years. Reports dating back to 2017 suggested that up to 35% of rescues were fraudulent, including allegations that some trekkers were deliberately made ill to justify evacuations and earn commissions.
A 2018 government investigation recommended police action and introduced new rescue monitoring guidelines, but enforcement stalled due to poor documentation and regulatory gaps. Insurers have repeatedly warned that continued abuse could lead to the suspension of coverage for Nepal-bound travelers.
The current CIB probe focuses on activities since 2022, prompted by renewed complaints and a formal request from the Ministry of Home Affairs, according to Onlinekhabar.
Industry experts warn that unchecked fraud could further damage Nepal’s reputation as a premier trekking destination. Some fear the country could be deemed high-risk by insurers, while others caution that excessive scrutiny of rescue requests could delay legitimate evacuations and put lives at risk.
