Kyle Chase, an international DJ who was unmasked as an EncroChat drug trafficker, has absconded from prison, police have said.
Police in Cheshire have issued an appeal for information over the whereabouts of Kyle Chase, who they said was last seen leaving HMP Thorn Cross in Warrington last Friday (August 14).
Jailed for drug trafficking
The now 41-year-old was jailed for 12 years in 2024, at Liverpool Crown Court, which heard he was a 'highly trusted conspirator with extensive involvement in the drug world.'
Also known as Kyle Muldoon, he had previously carved out a reputation in the international dance music scene under his DJ name Eldon - a reference to the Eldonian Village where he lived. He played shows at festivals and events in the likes of Croatia and Ecuador and opened Spray Shop - a former garage transformed into a dance music nightclub close to Bramley Moore docks in Liverpool - in February 2023.
EncroChat involvement
The court heard Chase used two handles on the EncroChat network - 'ThreeFatLadies' and 'FourFatLadies' - before the platform was infiltrated by European law enforcement in March 2020. His messages showed involvement in the supply of a total of 12kg of cocaine, 3kg of heroin, 10kg of ketamine and 15kg of cannabis.
In a statement issued this afternoon (Thursday, August 20), Cheshire Police said Chase had absconded from the Category D open prison on Arley Road in the Appleton Thorn area of the town. He was seen leaving the jail at 9am on Friday, August 14, and has not since returned, the force said as they appealed for help tracing him.
Police appeal for information
He is white, around 5ft 9in tall, and has brown hair and a beard, they said. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black shorts, grey trainers, and a grey cap, and was also believed to be carrying a black rucksack, they added. He is said to have 'a number of links' to the Merseyside area.
Anyone with any information regarding Chase’s whereabouts is asked to contact Cheshire Police via the website, quoting incident number IML-2398980.
