Drug boss who escaped prison and fled to Scotland jailed for 11 years

A drug boss who escaped prison and fled to Scotland has been jailed for 11 years as part of a major investigation.

Kyle Nelson, 38, was a main player in a major County Lines network that sold heroin, crack cocaine and other dangerous drugs in York.

North Yorkshire Police said Nelson had been serving a nine-year prison sentence for conspiracy to supply cocaine in 2022 and was moved to an open prison.

He escaped during day release in 2024 and travelled to Scotland, Ireland, and then Thailand using criminal associates and forged passports under the names Carl Green and James Tetley.

Kyle Nelson, 38, was a main player in a major County Lines network. North Yorkshire Police

Police say Nelson embarked on a “lavish lifestyle”, playing on jet skis and buying expensive items, including a Rolex watch.

Nelson, originally from Manchester but living in York, returned to the UK in 2025 and began running class-A drugs in an organised crime network, which he codenamed the ‘Banksy line’.

However, North Yorkshire Police’s Operation Sentry team, which tackles serious organised crime, was working with intelligence analysts to bust the network and track down Nelson.

Police say evidence showed he was the principal controller of the Banksy line.

He tried to evade detection by moving between addresses, harboured by criminal associates.

But he was linked to a vehicle travelling from Wetherby to York in April 2025, which police stopped and searched, finding a mobile phone with Banksy line information on it.

He was arrested, taken into police custody and charged with being concerned in the supply of class-A drugs and unlawful escape from prison.

Nelson was found guilty at York Crown Court on Wednesday and immediately sentenced to an 11-year custodial sentence.

After the hearing, PC Wayne Sharrocks of North Yorkshire Police said: “Kyle Nelson used his extensive criminal network to escape from a nine-year prison sentence for drug supply offences, flee the country, and live a life of luxury abroad.

“When he finally returned to the UK, he immediately continued selling crack cocaine and heroin on the streets of York using his own brand name ‘Banksy’.

“Operation Sentry works closely with intelligence analysts and other operational support units within North Yorkshire Police to tackle county drug lines operating.

“In this instance, we were able to gather evidence, attribute it to Nelson and arrest him within weeks of becoming aware of the Banksy drugs line and put Nelson back behind bars, where he belongs.

“The 11-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence. We continue to work hard to stop county lines operating in North Yorkshire.”