Two further defendants plead guilty in Brazil recycling illegal export case

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Four people and a company are to face sentencing at the Old Bailey after two more men pleaded guilty to illegally exporting waste to Brazil.

Father and son Julio da Costa, 51, and Juliano da Costa, 27 from Swindon, both pleaded guilty to exporting over 1,500 tonnes of household waste described as ‘plastics for recycling’ to Brazil in 2008 and 2009.

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Ahead of a three-day trial that was due to start this week, both defendants changed their plea to admit guilt at the Old Bailey.

Both had previously denied being involved in the illegal export of 89 40-foot containers of prohibited waste to Brazil.

Two other men, Jonathan Coombe, 41 of Romford, Essex and Simon Edwards, 46 of Loughton, Essex pleaded guilty last year along with a guilty plea from the company Edwards Waste Paper Limited, with Simon Edwards being a director and Jonathan Coombe working for the firm.  

A fifth man Andre De Oliveira failed to answer bail in November 2011 and is still wanted in connection with the case. The former director of Worldwide Biorecyclables has yet to be charged and his whereabouts are unknown despite enquiries involving agencies such as Interpol and the UK Borders Agency.