Drug dealer who escaped prison to live 'life of luxury' in Thailand jailed

Drug dealer who escaped prison to live 'life of luxury' in Thailand tracked down and jailed

A drug dealer who escaped from prison and fled to Thailand where he lived a ‘life of luxury’ is back behind bars.

Kyle Nelson was a major player in the Country Lines drugs network in York, where he sold heroin, crack cocaine and other drugs.

He was serving nine years for conspiracy to supply cocaine in 2022 when he was moved to an open prison.

He escaped while on day release in 2024 and fled to Scotland, then Ireland and finally Thailand using fake passports.

However, he was tracked down by North Yorkshire Police and has been jailed for 11 years after he was found guilty of supplying class A drugs and unlawful escape from prison following a trial.

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, who is originally from Manchester but lived in Acomb in York, returned to the UK in 2025 and immediately began selling class A drugs as part of an organised crime network.

He had evaded capture by officers on his tail by using a network of criminal associates and regularly moving between adresses.

Detectives found evidence that the 38-year-old was running the ‘Banksy’ line in York after a vehicle was stopped and searched when travelling between Wetherby and York in April 2025.

Evidence on a phone linked Nelson to the line, and he was arrested and charged.

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

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.