A scheme to poison tourists by guides to organise fake helicopter evacuations was exposed on Mount Everest. According to Daily Mail, The fraud brought the participants up to $19 million. The investigation is ongoing and some of the suspects have already been detained.
The essence of the Everest fraud scheme
Guides on Mount Everest deliberately mixed substances into tourists' food to mimic the symptoms of altitude sickness. This allowed them to convince tourists of the need for urgent evacuation. Then they called in expensive helicopters, took out insurance and received payments as if it were a real emergency.
The mechanism of profit generation
Evacuation bills were often overstated: one flight was used for several people, but insurance companies paid for each one separately. The defendants also forged documents and medical reports to increase the amount of compensation.
Investigations and first arrests
The investigation into the scheme is currently ongoing. Some of the organisers and executors have already been detained, and investigators are working to identify all those involved in the multi-million dollar Everest fraud.
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