Inside violent gangs taking over Brisbane streets

Violent youth “drill” rap gangs that police say are as dangerous as bikies are involved in a suburban turf war where they’ve claimed credit for bashings, stabbings and at least one murder.

Violent youth “drill” rap gangs are involved in a suburban turf war where they’ve claimed credit for bashings, stabbings and at least one murder, with police saying they are as dangerous as bikie gangs.

But a taskforce set up in 2022 to tackle the groups is no longer operational and one gang has now been linked to the shocking murder of Redbank Plains grandmother Vyleen White.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said she travelled to the UK last year to learn more about drill gangs and how international law enforcement tackle them.

Drill rap is a subgenre of hip hop where gangs write lyrics about violent crimes – often based on real events – and “diss” rival groups.

“We’re appalled and it’s concerning, but certainly from our perspective, we’re putting everything in to decrease (their activities),” Ms Carroll said.

“We had a taskforce that started dealing with some of these gangs but we’ve pushed that now back into ‘business as usual’ (policing) … they are monitored exactly like an organised motorcycle gang is. We put that much emphasis on it.”

Violent crimes across Brisbane boast about their brazen actions online in rap music videos. Source: YouTube

However Detective Superintendent Troy Pukallus said on Sunday street gangs were not like motorcycle gangs.

“The difference between bikies and criminal street gangs is that bikies have a structure, street gangs don’t... they are quite unsophisticated, they are opportunistic, quite ad hoc,” he said.

“The challenge in policing street gangs is that they are essentially a group of people who have a subculture which is based on a common set of beliefs, a culture - we see that manifest in music and videos - drill music.”

Det Supt Pukallus said Taskforce Uniform Knot, which was disbanded in 2022, focused on community engagement that prevented further victimisation.

He said the taskforce had been absorbed into other police operations.

Asked why senior police had called for a new taskforce, Det Supt Pukallus said: “It was news to me that our senior police would do that.

“As I said we have got competing priorities and demands on our frontline - establishing a taskforce is quite resource demanding. We have got existing capability and expertise in these areas.”

Deputy Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon said the Organised Crime Gangs Group (OCGG) was established in 2017 as a permanent squad to organised criminal gangs, including outlaw motorcycle gangs.

“The organised crime gangs group maintains capability to protect, to prevent, to target and to disrupt serious criminal activities of organised crime gangs statewide, and, if required, nationally delivers a response across the state to work with our commonwealth and national law enforcement partners,” she said.

“The squad works with our regional crime co-ordinators, our detective inspectors and other senior police and officers across the state in targeting organised crime gang activities as and when required.”

Last week’s murder of 70-year-old Ms White in the car park of Town Square Redbank Plains Shopping Centre, as her six-year-old granddaughter stood nearby, rocked the state and renewed calls for action on Queensland’s youth crime crisis. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with her murder and five other teens have been charged with offences relating to the crime.

There is no suggestion the children charged in relation to Ms White’s death are involved in any criminal activity referred to in the rap videos.

A court heard one of those five teens is connected to a drill gang known as Swish Bound Gorillas. The Swish Bound Gorillas, known also as Swish and SBG, are involved in a long-running turf war with rival group, Southside Drillas.

Swish emerged in drill rap videos in Queensland about five years ago, with members predominantly based in and around Ipswich.

When gang tensions flared, police set up Taskforce Uniform Knot to tackle the groups. Source: YouTube

Southside Drillas, also known as SSD, surfaced online at a similar time.

When gang tensions flared, police set up Taskforce Uniform Knot to tackle the groups.

Investigators focused on engaging with families and at the time said offending had reduced.

With new rap videos uploaded just months ago and with community tensions rising this week, officers from multiple districts and units who spoke to The Sunday Mail said a similar taskforce needed to be established.

Several rap videos relating to the ongoing Queensland feud make reference to the killing of 19-year-old Girum Mekonnen who was stabbed to death in a north Brisbane park in 2020.

Thirteen men have been committed to stand trial over the killing.

The Sunday Mail has been told that investigators believe gang entry has required some prospects to commit crimes.

Several rap videos relating to the ongoing Queensland feud make reference to the killing of 19-year-old Girum Mekonnen. Picture: Facebook

However the groups don’t have organised initiations, like outlaw motorcycle gangs do.

A large contingent of the groups are of African descent who rap “disses” (disrespect) at rivals termed “opps” (opponents), including threatening to bash or kill them if they come on to their turf.

They hold large knives and weapons in professionally-filmed videos, bragging about crimes, drugs and women in the videos which have “entertainment” disclaimers in them saying the material and characters are fictional.

In 2021, police said an ongoing and violent feud between the two youth crews left two teens in critical conditions.

The same year, an 18-year-old was left for dead on the roadside in Logan after the gangs clashed.

“My squad insane, spot an opp, we bust their brain,” one recent rap from SBG says.

“No tutoring ’cause n---er, this ain’t Major Payne. And when you run, don’t trip, cause you can end up in a frame. If you don’t want war with us, stay up in ya lane.”

Town Square Redbank Plains Shopping Centre stabbing victim Vyleen White. Picture: supplied by her family.

Asked about The Sunday Mail’s revelation of a suburban turf war between violent youth gangs, Labor minister Bart Mellish said: “Any instance of youth crime is one instance too many.”

“Any victim caught up in an instance of crime, my heart goes out to them, and we need to ensure we’re supporting victims throughout these processes.

“Regardless of how these crimes occur we need to make sure we’re working cooperatively with police to lessen instances going forward and working on solutions.”

Asked if the increase in youth crime since the government introduced its 10 point plan a year ago was evidence the system was not working, Mr Mellish said it was a national issue.

“All states are facing issues with regards to youth crime across their communities,” he said.

“It is really disappointing to see some of these instances.”

“My heart really goes out and my sympathy goes out to the family affected by the recent event at Redbank Plains and the community dealing with that.”

He said the government would have discussions with police about how to tackle the issue.

“Going forward we’ll be talking to police about what more we can do,” he said.

“And we’ll be talking to the police to ensure that operationally the right things are happening to make sure that we are managing those issues as they come as well.”

Another recent video from SSD, titled Murder Scene, has a rapper saying: “Don’t come to my block, it’s a murder scene, it’s too hot.”

The videos also include television and newspaper reports about the violent incidents.

Investigators say the groups also have older and smart members who have committed tax fraud and even used fraudulently obtained gift cards to buy their own songs online in a form of money laundering. In 2022, detectives from Uniform Knot arrested 10 people aged between 18 and 22 and charged them with fraud offences.

Police at the time alleged the men had defrauded the Australian Taxation Office of more than $1.8m.

Officers seized items including a BMW, cash, drugs, electronic equipment and designer clothing.

The gangs are strongly linked to Victorian street gangs, with members travelling interstate to meet up.

Drill music originated in Chicago around 2010 with explicit lyrics associated with crime linked to street gangs.

The rise of drill music in the UK followed, and has largely influenced Australian groups.

Australian drill videos first emerged in Sydney, with group Onefour the first to gain popularity. Members have claimed their lyrics are based on real-life events growing up in tough neighbourhoods such as Mt Druitt in Sydney’s outer west.