'Poisoned' Mount Everest climbers expose guides' million-dollar fraud scheme

It is being reported that Nepal Central Investigation Bureau discovered some guides have been giving poison to Mount Everest climbers.

According to The Kathmandu Post, as part of a scam that generated $20 million in insurance fraud, guides “poisoned” 4,782 international climbers between 2022 and 2025.

Nepal Central Investigation Bureau has charged thirty-two guides in connection with the scheme. Notably, Nepalese police restarted the investigation as they first found out about the scam in 2018.

The report revealed that the guides would plot fake emergencies for international tourists from countries like Australia and the United Kingdom to make the verification process difficult for insurance companies.

Climbers are at high risk of altitude sickness but guides made the circumstances worse for them by adding baking powder into their meals to produce symptoms similar to altitude sickness, pretending the need for emergency services.

Per the report, diamox (Acetazolamide) tablets were given to climbers in order to prevent and treat altitude sickness, with "excessive" amounts of water.

According to Cleveland Clinic, "Altitude sickness is when your body doesn’t have time to adjust to lower oxygen availability higher up in the atmosphere.”

It is pertinent to mention that guides also involved local hospitals and helicopter companies in their criminal act, faking the need for emergency helicopter evacuations and further treatment.

The scam generated Era International Hospital more than $15.87 million, while Shreedhi International Hospital was given $1.22 million as part of the fraudulent rescue operations.

Mountain Rescue Service has collected $10.31 million from international insurance companies by carrying out 171 sham rescues.