Gladstone detectives close property crime Operation Undermine

Police carried out search warrants in the Gladstone area after a number of alleged break and enters across the Central Queensland region. See the moment police raided homes.

Police have charged nine people with 80 offences after a number of alleged storage shed break-ins at Gladstone, Agnes Water, Benaraby and Biloela.

Operation Undermine began on November 1 with detectives from the Gladstone Property Crime Units carrying out investigations over three months.

Police executed search warrants after the alleged storage shed break and enters at properties in Toolooa, Gladstone Central, Berserker, Clinton and Benaraby that occurred from September 2022.

Bodycam footage supplied by police shows officers yelling “police search warrant” and handcuffing suspects as they raided homes in the Gladstone region.

Police will allege they located several stolen vehicles, weapons and tools in Gladstone Central, Boyne Island, Sun Valley, New Auckland, Hamilton Creek (Mount Morgan), Dumgree (Biloela), Benaraby, Agnes Water and 1770.

Gladstone CIB Sergeant Wayne Butcher said the closure of the operation was a massive success which “cleared out” a lot of problematic alleged offenders.

Sergeant Butcher, twin brother of local Gladstone MP Glenn Butcher, said the alleged stolen property exceeded $100,000 and the sting was a win for Gladstone Police and the broader community.

The Operation covered a large patch from Rockhampton south to Agnes Water and out to Biloela.

Those charged include local residents, as well as some from as far north as the Whitsundays.

A 26-year-old Agnes Water man has been charged with 15 counts of enter and commit, two counts each of stealing and receive tainted property, six counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and one count each of burglary, fraud (insurance), evade police, breach of bail and a weapon offence. He is due to appear before Gladstone Magistrates Court on February 22.

A 23-year-old Beecher (Gladstone area) man has been charged with two counts of receive tainted property, one count each of unlicensed driving and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. He is due to next appear before Gladstone Magistrates Court on March 7.

A 38-year-old Gladstone Central man has been charged with 11 counts of enter and commit, two counts of receive tainted property, and one count each of breach of bail and burglary. He is due to appear before Gladstone Magistrates Court on February 21.

A 31-year-old Grasstree Beach (Sarina) man has been charged with six counts of receive tainted property, two counts of possess drugs, three counts of weapon related offences, and one count each of a domestic violence offence, burglary, stealing and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. He is due to appear before Gladstone Magistrates Court on April 3.

A 23-year-old Benaraby man has been charged with one count each of receive tainted property and stealing. He is due to appear before Gladstone Magistrates Court on March 7.

A 38-year-old Kin Kora woman has been charged with one count of unlicensed driving and last appeared before Gladstone Magistrates Court on January 17.

A 26-year-old Toolooa woman has been charged with two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and one count each of burglary, receive tainted property, stealing and fraud (insurance). She is due to next appear before Gladstone Magistrates Court on March 6.

A 27-year-old Berserker man was charged with two counts of receive tainted property and is due to next appear before Rockhampton Magistrates Court on February 14.

A 20-year-old Conway (Whitsundays) man has been charged with two counts of enter and commit, one count of stealing and two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle. He is due to appear before Rockhampton Magistrates Court on March 1.

Investigations are continuing.