Story perspectives

Police Crewe Raid Arrests 6 for Sexual, Forced Marriage, Slavery

4/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

Police deployed over 500 officers to raid the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light headquarters in Crewe.
Six members were arrested on suspicion of sexual offences, forced marriage and slavery.
Chief Superintendent Gareth Wrigley said the probe targets alleged crimes, not the religion.
Police are working with the local authority to safeguard roughly 150 residents of Webb House after the 2023 offences involving a single female victim.

History

Historical Context

In October 2012 the Metropolitan Police launched Operation Yewtree, a national probe into historic sexual abuse after the Jimmy Savile scandal, recording 589 alleged victims, 450 linked to Savile. The resulting “Yewtree effect” helped drive the 2014 forced-marriage and modern-slavery laws, under which Cheshire Police’s 2022 raid on the Ahmadi Religion of Peace centre in Crewe deployed 500 officers to investigate sexual-offence and forced-marriage claims affecting 150 residents.

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Story summary

Police deployed over 500 officers to raid the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light headquarters in Crewe.
Six members were arrested on suspicion of sexual offences, forced marriage and slavery.
Chief Superintendent Gareth Wrigley said the probe targets alleged crimes, not the religion.
Police are working with the local authority to safeguard roughly 150 residents of Webb House after the 2023 offences involving a single female victim.

1 / 2