A man with two children was reportedly abducted by individuals posing as Interpol officers, then transported over 100 miles, tortured, and set on fire following the loss of cigarettes worth £1 million, as revealed in court proceedings.
Tomasz Samel, aged 45, was allegedly taken from Birmingham in 2019 to the Liverpool region, where he endured a harrowing experience, according to prosecutors.
Despite sustaining severe injuries, Samel was left alive in a secluded rural area. He managed to make his way to the residence of strangers who promptly called for medical assistance. Tragically, he passed away in the hospital three months later, as disclosed during the Birmingham Crown Court hearing.
The prosecution claims that the assault was a retribution for the seizure of illicit and fake cigarettes smuggled into the UK from Poland by HM Revenue and Customs.
Harpreet Sandhu KC informed the jury that Neil Jones, Kevin Wooden, Kye Arthur, and Tobiasz Kozlowski are charged with the murder of Samel and had planned to take him to a remote place for a “lesson.”
Wooden (46), Arthur (35), Jones (48), and Kozlowski (38) have denied accusations of murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.
The prosecutor detailed how Samel was forcibly confined, placed in a white Peugeot Boxer van, and transported to Merseyside, where he suffered severe harm during torture and was set on fire.
Following the ordeal, Samel likely found himself abandoned in a remote rural area but astonishingly sought help from strangers who saw his condition and sought medical aid.
Jones and Kozlowski are asserted to have been present during Samel’s torture and burning, while Wooden and Arthur are accused of involvement in planning the attack.
The court was informed that HM Revenue and Customs confiscated cigarettes from a unit utilized by Samel in Birmingham in February 2019.
Paramedics observed that Samel had been primarily targeted in the genital area by the fire, suffering burns on 75% of his body, in what police later described as one of the most appalling incidents they had encountered.
The Crown’s KC asserted that Samel was allegedly naked and seated when he was set on fire.
Jones has admitted to manslaughter, conspiracy to kidnap, and conspiracy to falsely imprison. However, Wooden, Arthur, and Kozlowski have denied manslaughter charges.
Kozlowski refuted allegations of conspiracy to kidnap and falsely imprison, while Jones, Wooden, and Arthur admitted to conspiracy charges related to false imprisonment and kidnapping.
The court also heard claims that Wooden fled overseas after a reward of £10,000 was offered for his capture following the incident. He was eventually extradited from the Dominican Republic after West Midlands Police released his photo. Police in the Dominican Republic arrested him in July 2025 on an international arrest warrant issued by Mexican authorities for a separate alleged child abduction.
The trial is ongoing.