Who are Stewart and Louis Ahearne, the two British brothers who carried out a heist on a Swiss museum and stole Chinese Ming dynasty artefacts?

The brothers stole artefacts from the Chinese Ming dynasty worth millions of pounds

British brothers Louis and Stewart Ahearne face a ban from visiting Switzerland, as well as a potential jail sentence, after stealing Chinese Ming Dynasty artefacts from a Swiss museum.

But who are the Ahearne brothers, who are to be sentenced for their crime later today, and how did they steal the valuable objects from the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva?

What did they steal from the Swiss museum and how much were the artefacts worth?

The heist took place at a museum in Geneva, Switzerland.

The pair, from south-east London, have been convicted of the crime after confessing to being part of a gang that burgled the museum in June 2019.

Two bowls and a vase from the Chinese Ming dynasty (1368-1644), which is famed for its blue and white porcelain, worth $3,580,000 (£2.87m) were stolen, according to an extradition request from the Swiss government, which saw the Ahearne brothers forced to return to the country to appear in court.

One of the bowls taken in the burglary turned up for sale at a Hong Kong auction house. The vase was found in the UK during an undercover sting operation in which Met Police officers posed as art dealers. The third item has not yet been recovered.

The gang also caused more than £3.5m of damage to the museum, which is in a listed townhouse in Geneva’s old town, using a power saw, sledgehammer and crowbar.

"They are a professional gang," said Loris Bertoliatti, representing the Museum of Far Eastern Art in court. "They were determined to sell the items. The victim is the museum. Lots of people were shocked by what happened."

What was the brothers’ role in the burglary?

Prosecutor Marco Rossier told the court in Geneva the brothers and a third man named in court by lawyers as Daniel Kelly, who is facing an extradition order to Japan, were all "equally involved".

The court had previously heard the gang was wearing masks and gloves when they broke into the museum by smashing a pane on the front door before shattering a display case.

The younger of the brothers, Louis Ahearne, had carried out reconnaissance of the museum, while Stewart hired a Renault Captur car and drove it to and from the scene of the crime.

"Louis Ahearne booked the hotel room, the ski masks and clothing used in the burglary," Mr Rossier said.

How were they caught?

Stewart Ahearne reportedly left his passport details when selling one of the stolen items at an auction in Hong Kong.

Louis Ahearne was serving a five-year jail sentence for burglary and possession of a Taser in the UK at the time of their accusation of the Swiss crime. He and his brother fought extradition to Switzerland, but it was granted earlier this year.

On Monday, Louis Ahearne said he carried out the burglary to "clear a debt" and Stewart Ahearne said he took "full responsibility" explaining he wanted to "protect" his younger brother.