Notoriety, ego what’s driving kid criminals

KID criminals are onselling expensive luxury cars for hundreds of dollars once they finish joy-riding, police say.

The Gold Coast’s top cop has given an insight into the inner workings of young offenders stealing luxury cars, revealing youths have on-sold them for a fraction of their value, according to police intel.

The Bulletin last week revealed a Brisbane gang of teenage thugs and thieves were “creeping” south, stealing cars and breaking into Gold Coast homes, all the while posting their crimes on social media.

Dubbed the Southside Gang the group gloats about their “earns” on social media, taunt police, and post images of luxury cars they’ve stolen.

Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said intel suggested some stolen vehicles were being sold for a fee “well below the market value in the hundreds rather than the thousands”.

“They’ll steal a (car), they’ll do a joy ride, they’ll post their exploits on social media and then they’ll sell it off to another person for another joy ride,” Supt Wheeler said.

He said this was anecdotally happening across the region recently.

“These are not criminal enterprises to gain financial benefit.

“Look at an organised crime outfit, what they will do, is they will steal a highend car and they will sell it for a good price.

“Whereas juveniles … it’s to gain notoriety, it’s to feed ego, it’s to show that they’ve been able to steal an expensive car.”

Last week teens in a stolen luxury vehicle livestreamed their pursuit with police as they dangerously drove at high speeds along the M1.

No arrests have been made.

Supt Wheeler was scathing of the social media and said it allowed a “celebration of bad behaviour” and “feeds the notoriety”.

“It’s concerning behaviour and again it’s coming back to that notion of notoriety and ego and having that desire to have their exploits publicised,” he said.

CHIEF SUPT MARK WHEELER