About 500 officers from across the north-west of England raided the headquarters of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) in Crewe, Cheshire, on Wednesday morning. The operation followed an investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences, modern slavery and forced marriage.
Police confirmed nine people had been arrested and were being held in custody. The suspects, six men and three women, are of American, Mexican, Spanish, Egyptian, Italian and Swedish nationality. They are suspected of human trafficking, sexual assault, rape, forced marriage and modern day slavery offences. A further 13 people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences unrelated to the main investigation.
The investigation began after a woman, now based in the Republic of Ireland, reported being raped and sexually abused at AROPL's headquarters in 2023. The woman was a member of the group at the time. Police executed warrants at the sect's headquarters, a former orphanage, and other properties in Crewe.
Chief Superintendent Gareth Wrigley stressed that the investigation was focused on individual suspects, not the religion itself. He said: 'While those arrested are members of the group, I want to make clear that this is not an investigation into the religion; this is an investigation into the serious allegations which have been reported to us.'
AROPL is a religious sect that moved its headquarters to Crewe in 2021. It blends Shia Islam with conspiracy theories about the Illuminati and aliens. About 150 people live at the grade II-listed building, including 56 children who are home-schooled. The group has charity status in the UK and denies any wrongdoing.
Former members have described a tightly controlled environment where followers were pressured to cut ties with outsiders. AROPL's lawyers have denied these claims. The group has faced investigations in Sweden, where 69 members had residency permits revoked, and is currently being investigated by the UK Home Office over its use of skilled worker visas.
