London brothers face extradition over Ming porcelain raid

Two brothers accused of stealing Ming dynasty porcelain worth $3.58m (£2.87m) are facing extradition to Switzerland.

Stewart Ahearne, 43, and Louis Ahearne, 33, from south-east London, are said to have been part of a gang of thieves who burgled the Baur Foundation, Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva.

Two bowls and a vase from the Chinese Ming dynasty (1368-1644) were taken in the raid on 1 June 2019.

DNA and CCTV images link the brothers to the crime scene, court papers say.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard that the Swiss authorities allege the brothers were wearing masks and gloves when they broke into the museum.

One of the bowls taken in the burglary turned up for sale at a Hong Kong auction house, while another item was found in the UK, magistrates heard.

The Ahearne brothers are accused of theft, damage to property and trespassing.

"Following the burglary, the Geneva public prosecutor's office and the Geneva judicial police and the Metropolitan Police in the UK set up a joint investigation team to help identify the perpetrators of the burglary and to recover two of the three artefacts," the warrant says.

Evidence is said to show both men were in Switzerland at the time of the burglary.

Stewart Ahearne's DNA was allegedly found at the scene and CCTV images are said to implicate his brother.

District Judge Nina Tempia sent their cases to the home secretary for her to rule on whether they should be extradited.