Two British brothers, Stewart and Louis Ahearne, could face a five-year ban from Switzerland, in addition to a possible four-year jail sentence, for their involvement in a museum heist targeting

Chinese Ming Dynasty artifacts. The siblings confessed to being part of a gang that burgled the Museum of Far Eastern Art in June 2019 during a court hearing in Geneva on Monday.

Prosecutor Marco Rossier argued that the court should impose a five-year ban on the brothers from Switzerland as punishment. He detailed the roles of each individual in the burglary, highlighting Louis Ahearne's reconnaissance work and Stewart Ahearne's orchestration of logistics, such as renting a car for the crime.

The artifacts stolen during the heist included two bowls and a vase from the 14th Century. One of the bowls was taken to a Hong Kong auction house, with Stewart Ahearne leaving his passport details during the sale. The second item, a vase, was recovered in central London as part of an undercover operation, while the third stolen artifact, a wine cup, remains missing.

The prosecutor emphasized that the burglary caused approximately 3.5 million Swiss francs (£3.2 million) worth of damage to the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva. Rossier argued that the Ahearne brothers, along with a third individual named as Daniel Kelly, were "equally involved" in the crime.

During the court hearing, Louis Ahearne admitted to carrying out the burglary to clear a debt, while Stewart Ahearne claimed full responsibility, stating that he wanted to protect his younger brother.

The defense will present mitigation, and the brothers are scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday. The court has heard about the extensive damage caused to the museum and the alleged professionalism of the gang involved in the heist. The outcome of the trial will be determined by the court's president, Patrick Monney. Photo by eppVei, Wikimedia commons.