Drugs, weapons and cash: Inside Brisbane’s violent youth gangs and their brazen Instagram pages

Drugs, weapons, wads of cash and 210km/hr joyrides in stolen cars: Inside Australia’s violent youth gangs – and the brazen Instagram pages where they taunt ‘pig’ police

  • Youth gangs thrive on the online adoration and notoriety from their petty crimes 
  • Brazen Instragram accounts ask their followers to send in criminal content 
  • Pages include joyrides in speeding cars, illegal drug use, money and weapons
  • Criminologist says the thugs often come from disadvantaged or violent families 

Brisbane’s youth gangs are using social media to brag about their brazen lifestyles, sharing footage of themselves committing crimes while taunting police.

Posts in a string of Instagram pages show teenagers joyriding in stolen cars travelling more than 200km/h, illegal drug use, weapons, huge sums of cash and thugs boasting about being ‘gangsters’.

The young men show off fast cars, jewellery and designer brands such as Versace and hide their identities behind balaclavas while editing their photos with emojis.

A post showing teens posing with illegal drugs, bongs, designer labels and jewellery 

One of the Instagram pages’ description reads ‘account does not endorse crime, ran for entertainment purposes’ while another says: ‘We will be creeping down the street and highways and send s**t in.’

A Queensland police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia it was aware of the youth gangs and have been monitoring their actions for some time. 

The teenagers thrive off the notoriety and online adoration for their petty crimes.

Griffith University criminology professor Ross Homel told 7News the offenders often come from disadvantaged or violent homes. 

‘These children involved in chronic offending have had histories of child abuse, sometimes sexual abuse, sometimes physical abuse or neglect,’ he said.

Many posts on the pages feature youths speeding in flashy cars at speeds of more than 200km/h

Many posts on the pages feature youths speeding in flashy cars at speeds of more than 200km/h

The thugs boast about their 'gangster' lifestyles and pose with weapons to gain notoriety on social media

The thugs boast about their ‘gangster’ lifestyles and pose with weapons to gain notoriety on social media

‘They have also grown up in households where the child-rearing practices are what you might describe as chaotic. They’ve all witnessed domestic violence.’

Mr Homel said the thugs often suffer from neurodevelopmental disorders and need more support to stop them from going down a destructive path.

He believes throwing them in detention or jail can lead to greater offences in the future. 

‘These kids could kill somebody if they don’t get the treatment and interventions that they need.’

Queensland coronavirus restrictions aid in limiting the youth gangs activity by preventing large social events to prevent the spread of the disease.

Public gatherings are limited to just two people, with heavy fines in place for those who flout the rules.

Thugs pose with cash in a post from social media. Mr Homel said the group need more support to stop them from going down a destructive path into the future

Thugs pose with cash in a post from social media. Mr Homel said the group need more support to stop them from going down a destructive path into the future

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk