Police in Queensland have charged six people and seized 13 Ford Falcons after a high-profile incident on New Year’s Eve, which saw the fleet of cars driven recklessly and used to block a busy bridge to let off fireworks.
In video footage captured on Brisbane’s Gateway Bridge on New Year’s Eve, just minutes before midnight, Falcons driven by masked men could be seen blocking northbound lanes and performing burnouts, with some of the occupants also observed letting off fireworks.
By the time police arrived on the scene, the alleged offenders had fled.
However, the Queensland Police Service launched Operation Yankee Reacher, led by the Brisbane City Criminal Investigation Branch, and today announced a series of arrests after carrying out search warrants across the wider Brisbane and Gold Coast region, including Caboolture and Logan Village.
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Of the 13 seized Falcons, three were alleged to have been stolen. They were located at a Logan Reserve Road address in Waterford West.
Footage shared by the QPS shows officers breaking down the front door of a residence, and finding a Falcon ute around back with its tub full of tyres.
Some of the alleged offenders have already appeared before court.
One of the alleged offenders swept up in the operation was only charged with a single offence, with a 17-year-old Springwood boy charged with one count of contravening an order about information necessary to access information stored electronically.
There’s a much longer list of offences for the other alleged offenders: an 18-year-old Caboolture man, a 16-year-old Daisy Hill boy, a 52-year-old Logan Village man, a 19-year-old Waterford man, a 22-year-old Kensington Grove man, and two 21-year-old men from Logan Village and Daisy Hill, respectively.
Three men were charged with publishing material on social media concerning their involvement in the dangerous operation of a vehicle; three were charged with unlawful participation in a group hooning activity; three were charged with driving unregistered and/or uninsured vehicles; three were charged for possessing tainted property; three were charged with driving in a manner that results in unnecessary noise or smoke; and two each were charged with driving without a licence and not having a valid number plate.
The 16-year-old Daisy Hill boy was also charged with possessing dangerous drugs and utensils, the 52-year-old Logan Village man was charged with possessing unregistered firearms, and the 19-year-old Waterford man was charged with not wearing a seatbelt and allowing passengers to travel with parts of their bodies outside the vehicle.
None of the offences listed appear to relate to the use of fireworks.
A breakdown of which alleged offender was charged with what can be found on the Queensland Police media site.
The QPS notes the fine for driving a vehicle in a way that makes unnecessary noise or smoke is a $534 fine and two demerit points, while spectating (without a reasonable excuse) in a group hooning activity is a $667 fine, and driving an uninsured motor vehicle is another $667 fine.
The New Year’s Eve incident wasn’t the first time hoons have done a street takeover on the Gateway Bridge.
In June 2025, masked hoons – most of whom appeared to be in Ford Falcons as well – were seen letting off fireworks as they travelled across the bridge.
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