Hoons hooking up on social media to arrange dangerous meets: Hoons named and shamed

Mexican Hoon Cartel started on the Gold Coast but is dodging police and organising underground meet ups in Melbourne’s suburbs.

Reckless hoon gangs are running riot across Melbourne, turning suburban streets and industrial parks into dangerous makeshift burnout tracks.

The Herald Sun can reveal hundreds of hoons belonging to groups across Melbourne are using social media apps including Snapchat and Instagram to organise dangerous underground meet ups, dropping their location at the last moment to avoid police detection.

One of the biggest groups to dominate the scene is Mexican Hoon Cartel which originated on the Gold Coast but has been gaining momentum in Victoria since late last year.

The group is well-known to police in Queensland, with numerous members charged with reckless driving in that state.

Melbourne footage uncovered by the Herald Sun shows hoons – some wearing balaclavas to hide their identities – brazenly performing wild stunts in suburban streets and industrial areas across the city.

The footage has been posted on social media where hoon gang members boast about their dangerous activity using hashtags such as #mexico and #skids.

Hoon gangs are running riot on Melbourne's streets. Picture: Supplied

Another high profile Melbourne hoon group is Southeast Skids which regularly meets up after dark to perform illegal burnouts in industrial estates in Dandenong South, Hallam and Braeside.

Other groups from Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs have posted footage under the hashtags #northside and #westside.

In one video, a hoon is captured doing burnout in front of spectators as a passenger hangs out of a window waving a Mexican flag.

Another video shows cars performing burnouts and other wild stunts in an industrial area in Melbourne’s southeast.

Dozens of fresh skid marks can be seen over the road.

One rev head posted a video captioned “cockpit view” in which they travel at more than 130km/h down a suburban street in Melbourne’s northwest.

Hoon groups are using social media to co-ordinate their gatherings but inside sources told the Herald Sun they are taking measures such as dropping their locations at the last minute to evade police.

Groups are using social media to organise last-minute meet ups. Picture: Supplied

Last year Victoria Police impounded 11,380 cars for high-risk driving. Picture: Supplied

In an Instagram group message seen by the Herald Sun, a hoon member writes: “We’ll meet in Dandenong South tonight lads, I’ll drop a pin (location) an hour before the meet, see you there.”

A car enthusiast, 28, from Melbourne’s east, told the Herald Sun he was angered at hoon groups who continued to “ruin” Melbourne’s car scene.

“There are so many good meet ups including the Westside JDM events that are strictly for car lovers and nothing else,” he said.

“The events are promoted to have no hooning and the police are supportive of the events.

“I have been to other car meets when you see hooning and there has been near misses where cars have almost hit people watching, it’s just stupid.”

Australian Road Safety Foundation chief executive Russell White said promoting dangerous hoon activity on social media was “irresponsible” and could lead to “catastrophic consequences”.

“They’re doing it for the likes on social media but things can go terribly wrong with cars skidding into other cars or even into power poles,” Mr White said.

Police act on tips from the community, including social media videos. Picture: Supplied

“Hoon behaviour can end in a tragedy with families left to grieve their loved ones and that’s the consequence.”

Victoria Police have targeted Melbourne hoons as part of Operation Achilles, zooming in on known hot spots such as Campbellfield, Deer Park, Derrimut, Roxburgh Park, Tarneit and Tullamarine.

A police spokeswoman told the Herald Sun the operation was ongoing.

When intelligence is received from the community, including social media videos, police act quickly to identify and arrest those who have been involved, she said.

“Since July last year, Operation Achilles has resulted in more than 240 offenders being charged for hoon driving, over 1400 charges being laid and more than 155 vehicles being impounded across metropolitan Melbourne,” the spokeswoman said.

“This has resulted in a significant decrease in hoon activity across the state, with police continuing to monitor and saturate known hot spots to ensure we can keep the community safe.”

In 2021, Victoria Police impounded 11,380 cars for high-risk driving, including hooning, excessive speeding, and drink and drug driving. Of these, 1,586 vehicles were disposed of.

Victoria’s worst hoons revealed

ANDREW DREW

Andrew Drew, 23, pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates Court in July to charges including recklessly engaging in conduct that put persons in danger of serious injury.

Drew intentionally caused his Holden Commodore to lose traction as he hooned through Cambria Rd on November 15 last year. Anti-hoon cops allegedly witnessed Drew and other road menaces at the “high-risk driving event” packed with about 100 spectators.

Andrew Drew was allegedly witnessed at a hoon meet packed with more than 100 spectators.

DENNIS JOHNSON

A Mildura driver drove a car with smashed windscreens, no mirrors and wiring exposed inside, before doing a wheelie on a motorbike as he reached speeds of up to 167km/h, a court heard in January.

Dennis Johnson was disqualified from driving for your years in Mildura Magistrates Court this week and ordered to pay more than $2000 in fines after he pleaded guilty to a string of charges.

COOPER REID MAY

A Bendigo magistrate who was confronted by one of the most dangerous hoons of his career, said it was only a matter of time before he killed someone.

Cooper Reid May appeared in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Monday to plead guilty to a string of driving offences in April, 2021

A magistrate said it was only a matter of time until Cooper Reid May killed someone.

ROBERT DAWES

Robert Dawes pleaded guilty in the Frankston Magistrates’ Court in May, 2021 over the hoon behaviour and more drug related crimes.

Dawes performed burnouts just metres from pedestrians before dozing off behind the wheel at Seaford.

Oliver Dunn did a burnout in front of cops.

OLIVER DUNN

A show-off hoon who did a burnout in an unregistered ute in front of cops at a Baxter roundabout was ordered by a court to do a safe driving course in 2020.

Oliver Dunn pleaded guilty to two driving charges including losing traction and unregistered vehicle at Frankston Magistrates’ Court.

DEAN DETSIS

A hoon who crashed into another car in Doncaster at more than 45km/h over the speed limit had to find his own way home from court after he was ordered off the roads.

Dean Detsis, 24, faced dangerous driving and speeding charges after the crash on High St on December 1, 2020 and was given a 12 month good behaviour bond.