A viral video which saw more than a dozen vehicles blocking the Gateway Bridge in Brisbane on New Year’s Eve has resulted in the charging of six people, ranging from 16 to 52 years old.
At approximately 11:50pm on December 31, 2025, several cars allegedly blocked northbound lanes of the Gateway Motorway at Murarrie, performing burnouts on the road in front of traffic.
Police allege several vehicle occupants let off fireworks during the incident, though the multiple police crews deployed to the scene arrived to find the alleged participants had fled.
In response to the incident, QPS established Operation Yankee Reacher to investigate the alleged hoons, led by Brisbane City Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), with support from other CIBs, Highway Patrol and Tactical Crime Squads.
In recent days, police have executed search warrants throughout south east Queensland and have so far seized 13 vehicles – predominantly BA, BF and FG Ford Falcons – as a result of their investigations, three of which were allegedly stolen prior to the hoon activity.
The alleged offenders who have been charged were all male, and range from a 16-year-old boy to a 52-year-old man, with the six men living in different areas from the Brisbane region, from Logan Village in the south to Caboolture in the north.
Another two men, both 21 years old, were issued with traffic infringement notices but were not charged.
“Police will not tolerate driving dangerous acts of this nature,” said North Brisbane District Detective Acting Inspector, Sean Webster.
“Those who engage in hooning risk serious consequences, including fines, vehicle impoundment, and potential imprisonment.”
“In addition to these penalties, police have the authority to impound, immobilise, or confiscate vehicles involved in hooning.”
The rise of social media has made hooning more prevalent in recent times, while it has also become a tool for police to track down offenders.
Earlier this month, police in Canberra seized 19 cars and issued 85 vehicle defect notices across the Summernats car festival week, having identified some vehicles on social media.
Discussion about this post