Officers, under the watch of a police helicopter, raided the headquarters of the Ahmadi Faith of Peace and Light located in a former orphanage, Webb House, Crewe, where around 150 adults and children live, along with two other properties, at 8.50am local time. Among those detained was the spiritual leader of the group, Abdullah Hashim Abu Al-Safq.Seven men, of American, British, Mexican, Spanish, German and Egyptian nationalities, were arrested for a range of crimes, including human trafficking, forced marriage, sexual assault, modern slavery, rape and assault.
Three women, of Italian, Swedish and American nationalities, were arrested on suspicion of modern slavery and sexual assault.A further 13 people were arrested on suspicion of committing public order offenses at the property.Cheshire Police said it became aware last month of allegations of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and slavery, reported to have occurred in 2023, all involving one woman who was a member of the group.
AROPL is a millenarian religious movement with roots in Twelver Shiite Islam. It has nothing to do with the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. Dr. Sarah Harvey, chief research officer at Inform, explained that it began in Basra, Iraq in the late 1990s, and is now active in 40 countries.In 2018, the movement was headquartered in Sweden, but after raids by the Swedish police, in 2021, it established its headquarters in England. Its followers wear small black hats and many of its beliefs, such as allowing alcohol consumption, differ from Islam, leading to religious persecution of the group in many Muslim-majority countries. The group believes that the Illuminati controls America and that aliens control US presidents.Chief Superintendent Gareth Wrigley said: “Although those arrested are members of the group, this is not an investigation into religion, this is an investigation into serious allegations.”