Police say they had to break up a crowd of 100 people at Darkes Forest late on Saturday night, when about 50 cars were seen blocking the Princes Highway, street racing and doing burnouts.
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This was one of a number of incidents over the weekend, during a joint operation between Wollongong, Lake Illawarra, Hume, South Coast, and Monaro Police Districts, targeting drug and alcohol-related driving offences as well as general road compliance.
Police said inquiries into the street racing meet up was continuing, with several defects notices issued to drivers.
Across the regions involved, there were more than 300 traffic infringements issued and 49 people were charged with drug-driving offence.
Other notable incidents included a vehicle stop on Todd Street, Warrawong at 10.30pm on Saturday which founds that the 47-year-old driver was was an unaccompanied learner.
Police said a search of his vehicle found several industrial tools which they allege were stolen, and the man was issued a traffic infringement notice, charged with goods in custody, and suspended from driving for three months.
His female passenger was also issued a cannabis caution.
On Friday night, police say a 16-year-old boy was found riding an unregistered trail bike on Northcliffe Drive, Lake Heights and failed to stop when directed.
They said the boy was later arrested in Warrawong and charged with a long-list of offences including low-range drink driving, being unlicenced, not complying with a direction to stop, using an unregistered registrable Class A motor vehicle on the road, and not wearing a helmet.
Police allege the boy also tested positive to a roadside drug test, and said he would appear in a children's court in May.
The operation - named Fume - involved officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, supported by the Dog & Mounted Command, Polair, and General Duties officers from the various local commands.
Police conducted more than more than 450 roadside drug tests resulting in 49 positive drug tests, as well as more than 4100 random breath tests which resulted in 28 people being charged with drink-driving offences.
58 motorists were detected exceeding the speed limit, they said.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
