Nepal Police arrest trekking company operator Pasang Sherpa in fake helicopter rescue scam

KATHMANDU: Nepal Police have arrested another suspect in connection with the fake helicopter rescue scam that has troubled Nepal’s trekking industry and adventure tourism sector for years.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) on Wednesday detained Pasang Sherpa, the operator of Panorama Himalayan Trekking and Expedition, on charges of involvement in fraudulent rescue operations targeting foreign trekkers in Nepal’s mountain tourism destinations.

According to CIB spokesperson Shiv Kumar Shrestha, the 50-year-old trekking entrepreneur was taken into custody as part of an expanding investigation into a network suspected of staging unnecessary helicopter rescues and preparing fake medical and rescue documents to claim large insurance payouts.

Authorities say the fake rescue scheme typically involved coordinating between trekking agencies, helicopter companies, hospitals, and local agents representing foreign travel insurance firms. In many cases, trekkers in popular destinations such as the Everest and Annapurna trekking regions were allegedly evacuated by helicopter without genuine medical emergencies. These evacuations were then billed to international insurance companies, resulting in significant financial losses and damaging the credibility of Nepal’s tourism sector.

The issue of fake helicopter rescues in Nepal’s trekking industry has drawn international criticism in recent years, as insurance companies and global travel operators raised concerns about fraudulent evacuation claims linked to Nepal’s adventure tourism market.

Earlier, on Falgun 13 (late February), investigators from the Central Investigation Bureau had already arrested two individuals connected to the same case. Prior to that, police also detained 44-year-old doctor Girwan Raj Timilsina for allegedly issuing medical documentation used to justify questionable helicopter rescue claims.

In another operation conducted on Magh 11 (late January), the CIB arrested six individuals associated with various travel and trekking agencies accused of preparing fake rescue paperwork and coordinating fraudulent helicopter evacuations from Nepal’s mountainous trekking regions.

Police officials say the investigation into the Nepal helicopter rescue fraud has so far led to the arrest of 10 individuals, including representatives from trekking companies, rescue service operators, hospital personnel, and local insurance agents. Some shareholders connected to helicopter companies operating in Nepal’s tourism industry are also reportedly under scrutiny.

Authorities believe the network exploited gaps in Nepal’s trekking rescue monitoring system, allowing fraudulent evacuations to occur in remote mountain areas where verification of medical emergencies is difficult.

The investigation is continuing as the Nepal Police seeks to determine the full extent of the alleged fraud and identify additional suspects linked to the scheme. Officials say the crackdown is aimed at protecting the credibility of Nepal’s trekking industry, adventure tourism sector, and international travel insurance system, which are crucial components of the country’s tourism-driven economy.