Two men suffer serious burns after suspicious fire at Browns Plains tobacconist

A tobacco store has been hit for the third time in a serious escalation of ‘tobacco wars’, with two men inside the shop suffering serious injuries.

Two men have suffered serious burns and a tobacco shop has been destroyed and neighbouring businesses damaged after a suspicious fire south of Brisbane overnight.

The men, aged 47 and 54, were reportedly sleeping at the shop in a bid to protect it when a number of people broke in and spread accelerant before the store erupted in flames.

The Courier-Mail has obtained footage of a previous attack on the business in January last year where employees chased the offenders away.

A Browns Plains tobacco shop has been destroyed in what police have deemed a suspicious fire. Picture: Iwan Jones

The footage shows a sedan reverse into the neighbouring store about 3.30am on January 6 before a masked man emerges from the vehicle armed with a blow torch.

Two other men inside the tobacco shop hear the commotion and run outside before chasing after one of the offenders.

The business is registered to a company called Samco Solutions, which also owns more tobacconists at Acacia Ridge, Deception Bay, Wynnum, and Indooroopilly.

A still from CCTV shows a car ramming through the front entrance of the shop in January 2024.

The company has owned the Browns Plains business since March last year. Three of the other businesses were acquired in July last year.

Of the latest incident, Detective Acting Inspector Daniel Cunningham said the two injured men had been hired by the business owner as security after receiving threats.

“It’s our understanding that they’ve been engaged by the business operators to provide a level of security at the business due to recent threats of the last couple of months ,” Inspector Cunningham said.

“The contents of those threats are still under investigation.”

Police say at least two men broke into the business and doused accelerants around the room - which splashed on to the victims - before setting the store alight.

Two people emerge from inside the story after the ram-raid in January last year.

Taskforce Masher - the state’s dedicated tobacco crime squad - was also working on the job.

“The Queensland Police treat this matter extremely seriously, we will continue to investigate and treat it with the highest priority to locate those responsible,” Inspector Cunningham said.

“Any level of violence in our community is treated seriously... that obviously escalates when those members of the community sustain harm as a result of that violence.”

Of the overnight incident, Browns Plains resident Donna Probin said the men slept at the back of the store because of the “tobacco war”.

“It’s a sad thing to think that they were there just protecting their business and this has happened,” she said.

The extent of the damage revealed the morning after the attack. Picture; Annette Dew

Four Queensland Fire Department crews rushed to the scene on Forestglen Crescent at Browns Plains about 12.20am on Friday.

Both men remain in serious conditions at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

Police have been unable to speak with the victims yet.

Inspector Cunningham said the owner of the tobacco shop was assisting police with the investigation.

No arrests have been made.

Police are appealing for anybody with dash cam or CCTV from Browns Plains Rd around midnight to 1am on Friday morning to come forward.

A second fire was reported in an abandoned home at Woodridge.

Police and fire officers at the scene on Friday morning. Picture: Annette Dew

Owners of the business next door to the tobacco store posted on Facebook early on Friday morning to say they’d received “the call every business owner dreads”.

“Our shop — our pride, our passion, our second home — has been devastated,” the post from Protea Delights read.

“We rushed there in the early hours, only to find flashing lights and police tape. It’s now an active crime scene. We weren’t even allowed near the entrance.

The aftermath of the fire at the Browns Plains tobacconist on Friday morning.

“We stood helpless, hearts shattered, staring from a distance at the damage.”

Protea Delights owner Estie Dercksen said it was the third attack on that tobacco store that had also impacted her business.

“The first one was very minor, where we had a brick through our back window and we didn’t even report it, as no one gained access,” she said.

“The second one happened on the sixth of January last year, where we were rammed by a car completely taking out in front of our store and most of the stock.”

Ms Dercksen had been planning a second anniversary celebration at the store on Saturday, with a barbecue and children’s activities planned.

Estie Dercksen from neighbouring business Protea Delights had been planning second anniversary celebrations.

“It’s a bit unreal, at stages I want to burst into tears and then in the back of my mind, I’m already making plans of how we can open as soon as possible,” she said.

“Not just for ourselves, as this is our income, but also for our employees, as it’s their income as well.”

The owner of another neighbouring business said he was alerted to the fire by a text message that indicated security cameras weren’t working.

“Then I got a phone call just after that,” said Dan Tumataroa, who owns seafood restaurant Fisherman’s Daughter.

Police are continuing investigations into the arson attack of a Browns Plains tobacco shop. Picture: Annette Dew

“I thought three o’clock it must be scammers, so I didn’t answer it, not knowing it was the police. So I checked my messages, and it was my manager, Bonnie, who had messaged me and says I think our shop is on fire.”

Mr Tumataroa said that he was concerned for the two gentlemen, who look after the premises.

“There is two gentlemen that keep an eye on the place they live there for security, our main concern was for their welfare,” he said.

“Our tobacco neighbours have been good neighbours for our whole little area where there’s five businesses.”

Mr Tumataroa is hoping he can open his business later today.

Dan Tumataroa was contacted by his restaurant’s manager early this morning with the message “I think our shop is on fire”. Picture: Annette Dew

“It’s tough times, we are struggling to keep our heads above water, and then this comes on, so it’s not good,” he said.

“I’ve got to wait to see if we can open your shop today, because we can’t afford to be closed.”
As of 3pm on Friday, Fisherman’s Daughter seafood restaurant won’t be able to open for dinner trade.