-KATHMANDU

The government has moved to clamp down on massive insurance fraud hatched by powerful brokers in trekking and mountaineering agencies in Nepal which involves fraudulent helicopter rescues and hospital treatment of tourists and has handover the investigation to Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) Pillar No 2 of Nepal Police.

The CIB has inquired the entire helicopter company to provide the data of total rescue done by the company in-between 2015 to 2018 with the support of CAA Nepal. The CIB will initiate its investigation after reaching the data.

The fact-finding committee of Ministry had recommended the Nepal Police to take over the entire responsibility of accompanying such tourists rescue operations from this September 2018 defying stopping any of such insurance scams in future that has damaged the country’s reputation. It has also suggested running an investigation on the cases of organized crimes and fraud charges against the culprit companies and groups involved with fake rescue operations.

The previous report from Ministry shows that the travel and trekking companies, hospitals, and rescue organizations were scamming tourists of large amounts of money in the name of rescues.

According to the revenue leakage (Research and Control) Act, 2052, the team has also recommended Inland Revenue Department (IRD) of the Government of Nepal to carry out the appropriate action with the proper investigation. The fact-finding panel probed 10 helicopter companies, six hospitals, and 36 travel, trekking and rescue agencies following complaints filed by tourism entrepreneurs.

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