Members of the ‘criminal underworld’ murdered a former friend before dumping his body in woodland in a killing likened to the plot of a Hollywood movie, the Old Bailey heard.
Mohammed Shah Subhani, 27, was reported missing by his family in May 2019, and his remains were found months later in a shallow grave in the Buckinghamshire woodland.
Amraj Poonia, 27, his younger brother Raneel Poonia, 25, and Gurditta Singh, 26, are now on trial for Mr Subhani’s murder in the midst of a drugs feud, while Mohanad Riad, 22, Mahamud Ismail, 26, and Singh’s cousin Mohammed Shakeel, 29, are accused of helping to dispose of the body.
Prosecutor Tom Little said the alleged murder happened “behind closed doors” at R & J Plumbing on a small industrial estate in Hounslow, before a plot was hatched to hide the body.
“He comes out rolled in a carpet, thrown into the back of a vehicle, driven away, moved from vehicle to vehicle, moved to the countryside, burnt and dumped”, he said.
“Sounds like something out of a Hollywood film but it is the grim reality of this case.”
Jurors heard Mr Subhani, nicknamed ‘Little Man’, and Amraj ‘Bigs’ Poonia were friends and both involved in the supply of cannabis.
“It is a murder that appears to arise from, and be linked to, the criminal underworld of a number of those living in and around the flightpath to Heathrow”, said Mr Little.
“However, the criminality does not end with that murder in west London.
“Having murdered Mohammed Shah Subhani it was necessary for the defendants to cover up and clean up their crimes.
“That includes disposing of the body, moving and disposing of Mohammed Shah Subhani’s Audi Q3 motor vehicle, other vehicles and other items.”
Mr Little said the reason for the cover-up was to “try to avoid justice catching up” with the defendants.
He went on: “Accordingly, an elaborate and extensive attempt to pervert the course of justice was set in train and carried out and which very nearly succeeded.
“Following the murder, Mohammed Shah Subhani’s body was removed from R & J Plumbing and, having been kept in a vehicle or vehicles in London, was driven to the countryside in Buckinghamshire where it was partially burnt and then left in a shallow grave in a storm drain in a wooded area off the beaten track.”
Mr Little said the involvement of Mr Subhani and Poonia in the criminal underworld came with “risks, rivalries, suspicion, treachery, violence – and even murder”.
The court heard Mr Subhani had been asked to look after a “very large quantity of cannabis” and had taken 5kg for himself, including 1kg which was entrusted to Poonia.
“He must have trusted him to have done so”, said Mr Little. “However, that cannabis went missing.”
It is said Mr Subhani and his brothers attempted to recover the missing drugs, leading to “violence meted out” to Amraj Poonia and Mohanad Riad.
Threats were made back to the Subhanis, it is said, culminating the murder on May 7, 2019 at the plumbing firm – part of the Poonia family business.
The defendants from west London deny the charges against them.
The trial continues.
