Police have arrested several suspects in a major operation targeting allegations of sexual abuse, forced marriage and modern slavery at a religious community in Cheshire.
More than 500 officers from Cheshire Constabulary, supported by neighbouring forces, raided three properties in Crewe on Wednesday, including the headquarters of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) at Webb House, a former orphanage where around 150 people live. Two other properties linked to suspects in the town were also searched.
The operation was triggered by a report made in March this year by a woman who alleged she had been raped and sexually abused while part of the Ahmadi religion in 2023. All of the alleged offences involve a single victim, police confirmed.
Chief Superintendent Gareth Wrigley of Cheshire Constabulary said: “Today’s operation is the outcome of a detailed and robust investigation into reports of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery involving members of a religious group called Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Crewe.
“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.
“We treat all reports of sexual assault seriously and are committed to doing all we can to achieve justice.”
The force said it is working closely with partner agencies to provide advice and safeguarding to other members of the group. Welfare centres have been set up to look after the 56 children living in the community, all of whom are home-schooled. Chief Superintendent Wrigley reassured residents that there is no risk to the wider community and that patrols have been stepped up.
Background of the religious group
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light originated in Basra, Iraq, in the late 1990s. Its founder, Ahmed al-Hassan, claimed to have met the Twelfth Imam in 1999 and was tasked with a religious mission, becoming known as the “Yamani.” The movement is described as a millenarian and esoteric new religious movement with roots in Twelver Shia Islam. Members believe the Twelfth Imam has returned in the end times and that they are God’s chosen people; they also incorporate beliefs about aliens and conspiracy theories regarding the Illuminati. The group’s leader, Abdullah Hashem, who is an American national, is considered the “Mahdi” – an Islamic saviour – and claims to be the true Pope and a successor to Jesus and Muhammad.
The AROPL has no connection to the Sunni-derived Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a separate and distinct religious group. It is active in approximately 40 countries and estimates having had contact with around 7,000 people.
The group moved its headquarters to the UK in 2021 from Sweden, after buying Webb House in Crewe for approximately £2 million. A spokesperson previously said they chose the property because it best suited their community’s needs and they “fell in love with the place.” In Sweden, the AROPL faced investigations by immigration authorities between 2019 and 2022, with reports of raids on their registered property and members’ homes. Many applications for residency were rejected, leading to deportation orders for dozens of members – which the group claimed was discriminatory persecution.
Allegations of abuse, forced marriage and modern slavery
The police investigation is examining claims of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery. Forced marriage has been a criminal offence in England, Wales and Scotland since 2014 under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, carrying a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. It is considered a form of domestic abuse and a serious human rights violation. Under UK law, all child marriages are considered forced marriages because children lack the capacity to give full and free consent. The Modern Slavery Act 2015, which combats trafficking and forced labour, is also relevant to the allegations.
The group has previously been described by a reporter as a “dangerous doomsday cult,” with claims that leader Abdullah Hashem encourages followers to engage in harmful practices, such as cutting off family ties. Former members have alleged that the group infiltrated local government in Crewe. Zafer Faqir, described as a “senior enforcement planning officer” for Cheshire East Council, is alleged to have used his position to provide advance notice of property inspections, allowing the group to conceal potential violations. This has been described by former members as “a clear case of institutional corruption.”
Concerns have also been raised about the welfare of children within the community. Police said there are 56 children, all home-schooled, at Webb House. However, a former member claimed that 190 children were living at the compound and were neglected, with instances of them going weeks without bathing.
The Home Office has been investigating a company linked to the AROPL, AROPL Studios, over its use of skilled worker visas to bring foreign workers into the UK. The company was established in 2021 to produce media content about the sect’s teachings. The group has reported facing persecution in various countries, including Germany, Egypt, Malaysia, Iran, Turkey, Algeria, Azerbaijan and Thailand, where members say they have faced arrests, mistreatment, torture and accusations of being “heretics.”
