February 18, 2022
A police crackdown across the South Burnett over the past fortnight, dubbed “Operation Viper”, has resulted in multiple arrests.
The charges include robbery with violence, break-and-enter, car theft and unlawful possession of weapons.
Darling Downs District Superintendent Danny Shaw said officers from the South Burnett Patrol Group had joined forces with the Darling Downs District Tactical Crime Squad and Toowoomba Highway Patrol to undertake the arrests.
“Our message to those doing the wrong thing is – we will catch up with you and when we do, you will face the consequences of your actions,” Supt Shaw said.
He praised the hard work of the region’s police throughout the operation which was led by Senior Sergeant Brett Everest, the officer-in-charge at Murgon station.
“While this phase of the operation has come to a close, police will continue to target property crime in the South Burnett and call on the community to continue to partner with police and report all theft or suspicious activity,” Supt Shaw said.
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Two teenage boys have been arrested and charged with a combined 29 offences.
As previously reported, a 16-year-old Cherbourg boy has been charged with robbery using personal violence after he approached a woman in Parkside Drive, Kingaroy, on February 9, allegedly punching her in the face and stealing her handbag.
The boy then fled the scene in a stolen vehicle driven by another person.
The boy is due to appear in the Murgon Children’s Court later this month in relation to this incident and nine other property-related charges, including three counts each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and enter premise with intent, one count of attempted enter premise to commit an indictable offence and two counts of stealing.
Investigations are continuing with respect to the apprehension of the driver and recovery of the stolen vehicle.
A 15-year-old Cherbourg boy has been charged with 19 property offences, including six counts of enter premise to commit an indictable offence, two counts of enter dwelling to commit an indictable offence, six counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, three counts of wilful damage, one count of burglary, and one count of stealing.
He was denied police bail and will appear in Murgon Children’s Court later this month.
- Related article: Youth Charged Over Break-Ins
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Police will allege a 28-year-old Cherbourg man was a passenger in a stolen vehicle that evaded police on the Bunya Highway in Murgon on Thursday, February 10, which was later used in an attempted break-in at a Tingoora business.
Police have also linked the vehicle to a break-in at a Macalister Street, Murgon, business later that evening where a quantity of alcohol was stolen.
The man has been charged with car theft, break-in, attempted break-in and drug possession. He was refused police bail and appeared in Murgon Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
A 20-year-old Cherbourg man was arrested at a Barber Street residence on Friday morning. He allegedly tried to flee police by escaping through a backyard and scaling a fence before being tackled by officers.
He has been charged with the theft of the vehicle involved in the Tingoora and Murgon incidents along with 24 other property, drugs and driving charges.
They include allege vehicle thefts from Kingaroy and Goomeri residences; the burglary of a business in Mackenzie Street, Wondai, where a quantity of alcohol was allegedly taken; and a break-in at Yallakool Tourist Park in Moffatdale where a cash register and confectionery were allegedly stolen.
He was denied police bail and will appear in Kingaroy Magistrates Court.
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Late on Thursday night, police charged a 17-year-old Cherbourg boy with two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, one count of burglary and one count of entering premises with intent to commit an indictable offence.
He was refused police bail and will appear in Kingaroy Children’s Court later this week.
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Kingaroy detectives have arrested a 51-year-old Googa Creek man following alleged threats made to harm police.
Two pistols and multiple cannabis plants and utensils were allegedly located following the execution of a search warrant at a Googa Creek address on February 9.
The man has been charged with two counts of unlawful possession of weapons and possessing dangerous drugs, and single counts of producing dangerous drugs, possessing things used in the commission of a drug crime, possessing a drug utensil, possessing explosives (ammunition) and threatening police.
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Toowoomba Highway Patrol, Blackbutt and Yarraman officers intercepted a vehicle driven by a 35-year-old Taabinga man on the D’Aguilar Highway at Gilla on February 13 after the driver was spotted allegedly using a mobile phone while behind the wheel.
Police will allege they recovered a cache of five knives, including two hatchets and a machete, and drug utensils after searching the man’s vehicle.
He was denied police bail and charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified by court order, failing to take reasonable care with a syringe, possession of a knife in a public place and possessing property suspected of having been used in connection with a crime.
He was also issued with a number of traffic infringement notices.
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Video supplied by QPS of some of the recent arrests:
- Related article: Council Calls For Police To Step Up
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