Mount Everest climber guides have allegedly poisoned the food of tourists in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme.

According to authorities in Nepal, over 30 guides have been arrested for poisoning the food of climbers in order to trigger expensive helicopter rescues.

The New York Post reported more on the fraud and how the operation was conducted:

Hima-liars.

Mount Everest guides have allegedly been secretly lacing tourists’ food to trigger costly helicopter rescues as part of a $20 million insurance scam, according to a new investigation.

Police in Nepal have charged 32 individuals with organized crime and fraud charges related to the plot, which involves trekking company owners, helicopter operators, and hospital executives, the Kathmandu Post reported.

Guides with the trekking agencies allegedly poisoned tourists by putting baking soda in their food to trigger severe gastrointestinal distress that mimicked altitude sickness or food poisoning, investigators said.

Once ill, the visitors were allegedly pressured into agreeing to costly emergency helicopter evacuations, with operators using forged medical and flight documents to bill international travel insurers for the cost, according to authorities in the Himalayan country.

Those ill-gotten gains were then allegedly split among the guides, helicopter companies, trekking agencies, and the hospitals where the tourists were taken for fake treatments.

The investigation began in January when six executives from three prominent mountain rescue firms were arrested.

The groups allegedly fraudulently obtained at least $19.69 million in insurance payouts, according to police.

One company is accused of faking 171 of its 1,248 claimed rescues, leading to more than $10 million in illegitimate payouts.

NDTV reported on the scam more in depth:

Maybe the guides should spend more time cleaning up trash instead of scamming people:

https://100percentfedup.com/mount-everest-tour-guides-allegedly-poisoned-food-climbers/