Gold Coast crime spree: Thieves break windows and steal products from chemists in smash-and-grab

The grim reality of Queensland’s prolific crime spree has been captured on video as police investigate a series of shocking burglaries in a popular tourist area.

Officers released CCTV footage on Wednesday of a van and four people they believe could help investigators following a series of burglaries on the Gold Coast.

Police allege that between July 14 and August 20, two offenders broke into multiple businesses, namely pharmacies and medical stores, before making off with resealables.

The alleged crime spree began shortly after 2am on 14 July when two people reportedly smashed the front window of a pharmacy on Vaughan Dr in Ormeau, damaging racks before fleeing with a quantity of men’s odours.

Less than two hours later, two people fitting the same description would break into a second business – an optometrist on Fairfield Rd in Yeronga – by smashing the windshields and fleeing with supplies, including lenses.

The following week, two people allegedly smashed the window of a pharmacy on Nexus Dr in Pimpar again, breaking into a scented cabinet before fleeing in a white van. On August 12, the same chemist was attacked again.

Police allege that at around 1:30 a.m., a man and a woman – dressed in hoodies, masks and gloves – forced their way into the store with a crowbar before smashing the scented cabinets and loading bins of produce. The group then fled in a white van.

In August, two more alleged attacks were reported to the police, including at the Ormeau store where the perpetrators left empty-handed, and at the Pimpara pharmacy where the perpetrators are believed to have taken a quantity of medication.

Police believe the alleged perpetrators used the same white Toyota Hiace van in all of the offences, with minor changes made between the thefts, including the removal of distinctive black roof racks and different license plates.

The van may be a 2006 model and police say an NSW license plate has been spotted occasionally.

Agents are also investigating whether this is related to various fuel drives in the region.

National Senator Matt Canavan told the Today Show Wednesday that state governments should support police and ensure laws are passed to combat rising crime and recidivism, especially among juvenile offenders.

“In Queensland, the Queensland Government amended its law in 2019 to require judges for juvenile offenders to adopt a presumption in favor of release,” said Canavan.

“Those were their words, a conjecture in favor of release. The consequences of this play out on the street every day.

“They need to reverse that, get rid of that, because throwing kids back into the gang environment, often without parental supervision, is leading to the poorer grades in the country.”