Hoons cause $300k damage in Townsville, taunt authorities and MP online

Young men claiming affiliation with the notorious Mexican Hoon Cartel have left a trail of destruction in Townsville, racking up $300k in damages to public property — all at the expense of local ratepayers — while flaunting their reckless antics on social media.

Young men claiming affiliation with the notorious ‘Mexican Hoon Cartel’ have left a trail of destruction in Townsville, racking up $300k in damages to public property — all at the expense of local ratepayers — while flaunting their reckless antics on social media.

The hoons are suspected to be behind two separate arson attacks on mobile CCTV trailers, with incidents reported in Bohle on Thursday and Woodstock on Saturday.

Police sources believe the two events are linked and note that there is no evidence that the vehicles involved were stolen or that the offences are connected to youth crime.

The trailers were set up by the council to catch out these hoons, but instead, they became the target of destruction.

Shocking footage has surfaced online, showing a massive crowd of young men and women cheering on as hoons in beat-up Ford Falcons rip through dangerous burnouts at the intersection of Flinders Highway and Glenn Road in Woodstock.

Photos shared on Instagram show hoons flaunting their reckless stunts and vandalism in Townsville over the weekend. Source: Instagram

The chaos escalated as passengers hung out of car windows, firing off fireworks, while the crowd jeered and egged them on.

Members of the crowd eventually turned their attention to the mobile CCTV trailer, spraying it with graffiti before toppling it and setting it on fire.

One of the ringleaders was even seen waving a Mexican flag, signalling their affiliation with the so-called Mexican Hoon Cartel.

Councillor Brady Ellis expressed his disgust at the situation, comparing the group’s actions to something “you’d expect to see on the news from Afghanistan or some sort of current war zone area.”

Councillor Brady Ellis and Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto have both condemned the hooning antics.

“It’s not something that you expect to see in Woodstock, in residential rural communities. It’s disgraceful,” Cr Ellis said.

“Someone is going to be killed. That’s why we put those cameras out there, to protect the community, and instead, $300,000 worth of damage done.”

Cr Ellis explained that the cameras had been installed in response to community concerns about dangerous driving and the severe disruption caused by the hoons, with road trains travelling along the Flinders Highway being forced to stop because of the chaos.

“Road trains were trying to get through on the Flinders Highway at 110ks an hour in the middle of the night, and they had to stop while this rioting behaviour was going on,” he added.

The so-called Mexican Hoon Cartel, which boasts almost 50,000 followers on social media, has been wreaking havoc in the state’s southeast for years.

Photos shared on Instagram show hoons flaunting their reckless stunts and vandalism in Townsville over the weekend. Source: Instagram

Since at least 2018, the group has terrorised the Gold Coast, with residents lodging countless complaints about hooning.

The gang regularly posts videos online, showcasing their illegal burnouts, doughnuts, and other dangerous stunts. They’ve been known to target individuals and areas where people have complained about them.

In Townsville, fans of the cartel seem to be following suit and have focused their attention on Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto after he recently posted a video on social media condemning hoons for the mess they left at the intersection of Harvey Range Rd and Black River Rd.

The hoons have retaliated by using out-of-context clips of the MP in their own videos, and during the Woodstock chaos, they were seen waving his election corflute.

Hoons posing on Instagram with a Nick Dametto poster. Source: Instagram

Despite the online trolling, Mr Dametto says he has been in direct contact with one the group’s ringleaders.

Contrary to what many might think, he insists these aren’t kid car thieves but young adults who purchase cheap cars they don’t mind totalling.

Mr Dametto is deeply concerned about the group’s demands for a dedicated burnout pad where they can perform stunts without any rules or oversight.

“If you want to be a part of the motorsports scene in Townsville, I encourage you to engage. Do it in a professional way. Do it in the way that everyone else that’s doing this properly,” Mr Dametto said.

“You’re not going to hold Townsville to ransom until you get what you like.”

The MP has encouraged the hoons to work with local authorities and the motorsports community to find a proper, legal solution, such as establishing a regulated burnout facility. However, he warned that if they continue to defy the law, they could face prosecution.

Investigations are continuing, police are appealing for information or relevant vision.

Highway Patrol Officers and local police in Townsville are expected to continue to target hooning and anti-social behaviour in the wake of these incidents.

Originally published as Hoons cause $300k damage in Townsville, taunt authorities and MP online