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13
Aug
‘Main player’ in drug network that supplied Harrogate jailed for 11 years
A man who oversaw a drugs network that supplied heroin and crack cocaine in Harrogate has been put back behind bars.
Kyle Nelson, 38, was jailed for nine years for conspiracy to supply cocaine in 2022 but escaped from an open prison while on day release in 2024.
He fled to Thailand where he embarked on a lavish lifestyle, playing on jet skis and buying expensive items including a Rolex watch.
Nelson evaded detection by moving between addresses, but North Yorkshire Police eventually tracked him down in April 2025 when he was arrested, taken into police custody and charged with being concerned in the supply of class-A drugs and unlawful escape from prison.
He was found guilty by a unanimous decision at York Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday, 12 August) and sentenced to an 11-year custodial sentence.
Kyle Nelson
A North Yorkshire Police media release today described Nelson as the ‘main player’ in a county lines operation known as the Banksy line.
County lines is the term given to drug networks run by organised crime groups that cross county boundaries and take over rural areas.
Nelson, 38, who is originally from Manchester but lived in Acomb, York, travelled to Scotland, Ireland and then Thailand using criminal associates and forged passports under the names Carl Green and James Tetley after his escape.
He returned to the UK in 2025 and immediately began running class-A drugs in an organised crime network using the Banksy line codename.
A Rolex watch he bought.
Nelson 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 by a unanimous decision at York Crown Court.
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.
Kyle Nelson
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