Police have charged three men with rioting and have seized four trail bikes amid an investigation into a social media event that descended into chaos at Mayfield on the weekend.
Specialist officers from the Northern Region Operations Support Group backed Newcastle police as they raided a property at Wallsend about 7am on Friday, June 19.
Police allegedly discovered and seized four motorbikes, a scooter, taser, 0.55 grams of methamphetamine, helmets, clothing, and electronics.
Officers arrested three men at the scene, aged 20, 22 and 25, and took them to Waratah Police Station.
The 25-year-old man and the 20-year-old man will face seven charges in court, while the 22-year-old man will face six.
All have been accused of rioting, using violence to cause fear, driving without a license, having a stolen motor vehicle in their custody, and destroying or damaging property, among others.
The trio were refused bail and will spend the night in police custody before facing weekend bail court on Saturday, June 20.
Police intelligence led them to launch an operation targeting an event being promoted on social media by streetwear brand Bad Apples at the skate park at Dangar Park on Sunday, June 14.
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Police attended about 1pm, including officers from the riot squad and the PolAir helicopter, after reports a large group had gathered.
Officers found up to 200 people had converged on the park, where Bad Apples was promising cash and merchandise giveaways.
Police allege up to another 40 people were riding unregistered trail bikes in parkland and on surrounding streets.
Officers were forced to close nearby streets to restore order, and deployed capsicum spray after a brawl broke out. One woman was arrested at the scene before being released pending further inquiries.
Police seized two unregistered motorbikes on the day and they were undergoing forensic examination.
Newcastle police vowed to invest significant resources into finding those responsible for causing the chaos and endangering the community. They launched Operation Horizon to investigate and have been trawling through footage.
Operation Horizon investigations continue and anyone with footage or information should contact Newcastle police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
