Toowoomba businessman Mark Abra enlisted the help of 14 friends in seven different cars to track down teenage car thieves dangerously driving his stolen Landcruiser around the city.

Two 15-year-old boys stole Mr Abra’s white Toyota Landcruiser from his Harristown office car park at 3.30pm on a Friday afternoon.

He immediately phoned police and was shocked when an officer asked him whether he had gone for a drive himself to look for it.

“I got the shock of my life as to how hopeless our system is,” Mr Abra said.

Over the next 10 hours, Mr Abra, his colleagues, and friends spotted the teens more than a dozen times recklessly driving the stolen car around Toowoomba.

“I first spotted them just before 4.30pm. I pulled up, yelled at them and they took off,” Mr Abra said.

“One of their mothers reported the pair to police that afternoon, as it wasn’t their first time stealing a car,” he said.

“I saw them four times that night. They were absolutely lead-footing it. Speeding. Running red lights. Cutting through shopping centre car parks. It was just frustrating, and I phoned police a few times to ask what they were doing.

“The pair swerved at me when I was parked in a car at one stage. They also tried to reverse over one of our drivers when she approached the car (thinking it was empty) in the Clifford Gardens car park.”

The group did not see police until about 11pm when officers pulled over one of their drivers and questioned why she was driving slowly through an intersection. She told police she was helping her boss, Mr Abra, search for his stolen car.

The group eventually found the car abandoned in Water Street South at 1.45am. The Landcruiser was parked, locked, leaking oil, missing a radio, lights, and had panel damage.

The thieves also used Mr Abra’s credit card after their 10-hour joyride.

“They did some shopping at TK Maxx and they like KFC,” Mr Abra said.

The repair bill totalled almost $10,000. The incident happened in June, about two weeks before a 13-year-old boy died after he and three other teenagers were involved in a serious crash in a stolen car.

Mr Abra believes an increased police presence would deter offenders but noted the failing in the justice system.

“I can see now where vigilante groups come from. Our laws are letting us down,” he said.

Member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki MP said Mr Abra’s story was just one of 660 cars that were stolen in Toowoomba in the past 12 months.

“The current spate of youth offending has led to car thefts increasing by more than 53% on the previous 12 months,” Mr Janetzki said.

“Every day I hear stories of crime in our community and people have had a gutful,” he said.

“Police are stretched. The state government must act to strengthen the law and provide targeted policing resources to tackle recidivist offending.”

“These problems are deep-seated and demand an all of government approach.”