Stay the bloody hell home- Cops crack down on Covid breaches
From a 50km food run to Surfers Paradise, a late night trip over the border – and back, police have released footage of their intercepts as people continue to flout Covid-19 lockdown rules.
Police & Courts
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Police are continuing to crack down on Queenslanders attempting to escape Queensland’s Covid-19 lockdown rules, with new footage showing several people caught for alleged breaches.
The footage, released by the Queensland Police Service on Friday afternoon, demonstrates how some Queenslanders are still failing to take the Chief Health Officer’s directions seriously – including one man who allegedly travelled more than 50 kilometres “for food,” and another group of people who are accused of breaching lockdown orders for a car hooning event.
In the first of the alleged incidents, police issued a 24-year-old man with a $1378 fine after he left his Meadowbrook home and drove more than 50km to Surfers Paradise.
The man told police he had driven the approximately 40-minute journey to get something to eat.
It‘s alleged officer’s intercepted the man because he had failed to wear a mask, and when asked about his reason for leaving home, police were made aware of his failure to stay within 10km of his home.
In another instance, also on the Gold Coast, a Brisbane woman allegedly fled the state for Sydney despite knowing of Brisbane‘s current lockdown status.
She came to the QPS‘ attention after police say “the woman changed her mind after passing the border and decided to drive back to the Gold Coast.”
She was intercepted by officers at the state border checkpoint site on the M1 at Currumbin around 2am Friday morning
In the clip, an officer can be heard saying to the woman: “So at 10.30pm you left Brisbane and you went to Byron Bay,” before he asks: “So what time did you leave Byron Bay? And you’ve come back over here, is that right? … Did you realise we’re currently in lockdown?”
The woman was fined $1378 by police for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s direction.
While in another breach of restrictions, four people aged in their 20s were fined for meeting at a planned hooning event in Logan about 8pm on Thursday.
They were each issued a $1378 fine.
Police have also been able to unearth several weapons and a quantity of drugs as part of their tactical approach to Covid-19 compliance checks.
The coincidental finds have stemmed from officers stopping cars, bikes and commuters on routine Covid-19 checks, however have led to further penalties for unrelated alleged offending.
In one incident on Thursday afternoon, Railway Squad police arrested a 46-year-old East Brisbane man as he attempted to leave the Fortitude Valley Train Station.
Officers searched the man when they found he was allegedly in possession of a knife and drug utensils.
The man was charged with failing to comply with COVID-19 Public Health Direction, possessing drug utensils, possession of a knife in a public place and fare evasion.
Worryingly, in a separate incident in Ormiston, police located drugs allegedly in the possession of two motorbike riders.
“Police from Capalaba Tactical Crime Squad intercepted two motorbikes in Ormiston after they were seen allegedly committing traffic offences,” a statement from police said.
“Police searched the riders, finding drugs and $4000 in cash.”
A 25-year-old Inala woman was charged with possessing dangerous drugs, driving a motor vehicle without a driver‘s licence, using an unregistered vehicle, and driving an uninsured vehicle.
She was also issued with a $1378 fine for allegedly failing to comply with COVID-19 Public Health Direction, while a 53-year-old Inala man was charged with possessing dangerous drugs, possessing tainted property, driving a motor vehicle without a driver‘s licence, using an unregistered vehicle, and driving an uninsured vehicle.
The breaches come as authorities urge Queenslanders to do the right thing if the lockdown has any chance of lifting on Sunday.
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