Queensland police arrest three men after six-hour-long manhunt in Gilston after alleged armed robbery

Two men and a teenage boy have been charged following a six-hour manhunt, which shut down a Gold Coast suburb.

Queensland police declare exclusion zone in Gilston, Gold Coast.

Two men and a teenage boy have been charged following a six-hour manhunt, which shut down a Gold Coast suburb on Christmas Eve.

A Queensland Police statement on Tuesday said they had arrested a 36-year-old, 37-year-old and a 17-year-old following an alleged robbery in Arundel at around 4.45am on Tuesday.

The men have since been charged with three counts each of armed robbery, one count of enter dwelling with intent to commit an indictable offence, and two counts each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

The three men allegedly robbed the Arundel home armed with a firearm, hammer, and machete.

It will be alleged the men took money from the home and fled the scene in two allegedly stolen vehicles.

One of the cars, an Audi SUV, was taken from the Arundel address.

Following the reports, multiple police officers and Polair began a wide-scale search for the three men and the vehicles.

Officers found the Audi at Gilston, triggering a comprehensive search around the bushland area.

Gold Coast officers and specialist police units stormed a Worley Drive property at around 10.50am and arrested the three men.

During the almost six-hour-long manhunt, Gilston residents were warned by police to remain indoors and “to ring triple-0 and report any fresh sightings”. .

The Polair 2 helicopter flies laps over Gilston in search of three alleged armed robbers on the loose. Photo: Luke Sorensen

One local said they were inside the police exclusion zone with one police van parked outside their home.

“Choppers flying overhead, my street is blocked off and nobody is allowed in or out.

“Crazy.”

At around 11am, Gilston resident Luke Sorensen said the area was “eerily quiet” due to the incident.

“The chopper is still circling an area around the Peter Mills Drive estate part of Gilston, which backs on to bushland at the back of Highland Park where Chevron Rise is,” he said.

“Most people are staying indoors by the looks of it.

“Just saw a delivery van come through and they seemed oblivious to the situation.”

Mr Sorensen said he had witnessed a “few lockdowns and manhunts” since living in the Nerang and Gilston area.

He said he was thankful his family had finished their Christmas shopping on Monday.

“We’re grateful for the police out there at this time of year doing their jobs over the Christmas period though,” Mr Sorensen said.

A crime scene has been established at the Worley Drive property and investigations are ongoing.

The 17-year-old boy is set to appear before the Southport Childrens Court on December 26 and the other two men are set to appear before the Southport Magistrates Court on the same day.

The Polair helicopter flies laps over Gilston in search of three alleged armed robbers on the loose. Photo: Luke Sorensen

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