London – British police conducted raids on Wednesday morning on facilities linked to the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) group, arresting nine individuals suspected of offenses including modern slavery, forced marriage, and sexual assault.
The operation involved police from across northwest England, with warrants executed at three addresses, including AROPL’s headquarters in Crewe, Cheshire. Six men and three women were taken into custody, according to a statement from Cheshire Police.
The raids followed allegations made by a former member of the group about serious sexual offenses, forced marriage, and modern slavery that allegedly occurred in 2023. All arrests related to these specific allegations, as reported by the police.
Among those arrested are two American men and one woman, two Mexican men, an Italian woman, a Spanish man, a Swedish woman, and an Egyptian man. Chief Superintendent Gareth Wrigley of the Cheshire Constabulary stated that today’s operation was the result of a detailed investigation into serious allegations reported to them, not an inquiry into the religion.
The U.S. Embassy in London did not respond to CBS News’ request for comment on the Americans arrested. AROPL also declined to comment, with lawyers stating their client denies any wrongdoing vehemently.
Founded by Egyptian-American leader Abdullah Hashem, who claimed to be the Mahdi and successor of Jesus Christ, AROP is a religious movement associated with Shiite Islam but considered heretical by most Muslims. It has been banned in Malaysia and faced charges and detention in Egypt and Algeria.
The group’s headquarters in Crewe, previously an orphanage listed as Grade II, houses about 150 individuals, including 56 children who are home-schooled. AROP moved its headquarters to the U.K. from Sweden in 2021 after residency permits were revoked for many members, with the group accusing these actions of racist persecution.
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