Crewe Police Raid Leads to Nine Arrests in AROPL Inquiry
About 500 officers carried out a police raid on the headquarters of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Crewe on Wednesday, with nine people arrested and held in custody. Cheshire police linked the operation to allegations including sexual assault, rape, forced marriage and modern slavery.
Gareth Wrigley On The Inquiry
Ch Supt Gareth Wrigley said the operation was focused on individual suspects, not the religion. 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."
He added: "We treat all reports of sexual assault seriously and are committed to doing all we can to achieve justice." Police said the suspects were six men and three women, with nationalities listed as American, Mexican, Spanish, Egyptian, Italian and Swedish.
Crewe Headquarters Search
Officers had warrants to enter the group’s headquarters and other properties in Crewe, Cheshire, before carrying out a search of the premises after the arrests. The road next to the gated property was closed off on Wednesday morning as a convoy of police vehicles entered.
The allegation at the center of the investigation came from a woman now based in the Republic of Ireland, who told police in March that she had been raped and sexually abused at the headquarters. Police said the alleged offences took place in 2023 while she was a member of the group.
Children At The Building
The headquarters, which AROPL moved to Crewe in 2021, is understood to house about 150 people, including about 56 children who are home-schooled. Cheshire East council’s social services made inquiries twice in the past involving the group or the children, and there was no evidence action was deemed necessary.
The arrest tally rose to 22 on Wednesday, with a further 13 people held on suspicion of public order offences that police said do not relate to the investigation. The main inquiry continues to focus on the serious allegations brought to officers and the people arrested in connection with them.
