More than 500 police officers raided properties in Crewe on 29 Apr 2026 as part of an investigation linked to the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (ARPOL). For readers new to this story, this was not a sudden appearance of an unknown group: ARPOL has operated publicly for years, built a large online footprint, and has been the subject of repeated reporting and controversy before this week’s operation.

What happened in Crewe

Police said the operation related to allegations including serious sexual offences, forced marriage, and modern slavery. Early same-day reporting cited nine arrests. Updated coverage on 30 Apr 2026 said police clarified the custody figure to 10 people, with 13 further arrests on separate public-order grounds.

Across BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Guardian reporting, police statements were consistent on one point: the inquiry is into alleged criminal conduct by individuals and not framed as an investigation of religion itself.

Broadcast coverage

ITV Granada’s report documents the operational timeline on the ground in Crewe, combining live location footage, witness context, and police statements as officers moved on Webb House and nearby properties.

Channel 4 complements that reporting with aerial and gate-side visuals from the raid, alongside a concise summary of the allegations under investigation and subsequent police clarification on arrest figures.

Previously reported allegations and concerns

Before this week’s operation, multiple reports and former-member accounts had already raised serious allegations and concerns about group practices. These included claims that members were pressured to cut ties with outside family and donate substantial income or assets, alongside allegations of tight internal control and coercive dependence on leadership.

Earlier reporting also raised concerns about children living in group settings with home-schooling arrangements, and about dramatic miracle claims used in public-facing content. In international reporting, Swedish authorities and courts were also cited in coverage around visa and residency issues tied to group-linked entities.

These earlier allegations are not identical to this week’s criminal investigation, but they are central background to understanding why the Crewe raids drew such intense attention.

Public defense campaign and the apologist dispute

One reason this story remains so contested is that two narratives are running at once. On one side are escalating allegations and law-enforcement action. On the other is a visible public-legitimacy effort around the group.

Critics and former members have argued that ARPOL has sought legitimacy through high-visibility events, including appearances by outside scholars and commentators who are presented as neutral or expert voices. Names repeatedly cited in that debate include Massimo Introvigne, Eileen Barker, and Holly Folk. Supporters characterize such appearances as religious-freedom engagement. Critics characterize them as reputational defense during a period of serious allegations.

That tension — serious allegations on one side, public normalization on the other — is now central to how the story is being read.

Source citations

BBC News: “Nine held in religious group modern slavery raid” , 29 Apr 2026.

BBC News: “Religious group members questioned over modern slavery” , 30 Apr 2026.

The Guardian: “Crewe religious group raided by police investigating allegations of serious sexual offences” , 29 Apr 2026.

Channel 4 News: “Police raid religious group over allegations of sexual offences and modern slavery” , 29 Apr 2026 [02:14].

ITV News In Full (YouTube): “Police raid religious group in Cheshire | ITV News Granada Reports” , 29 Apr 2026 [24:59].

Times of India: “Nine arrested in UK raids on Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Crewe” , 30 Apr 2026.

Daily Mail: “The Islamic sect operating from an orphanage in Crewe” , 03 Jul 2025.

VICE: “In England, Parents Are Moving Their Children Into a Doomsday Cult” , 02 Jul 2025.

The Guardian: “‘Dad, imam, God’: children living with self-declared pope in former UK orphanage” , 01 Jul 2025.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light | AROPL (YouTube): “The Anti Cult Movement Is at War With Itself” , 26 Aug 2025 [44:23].

The Mahdi Has Appeared (YouTube): “AROPL, Cult Accusations & the Fight for Religious Freedom | ft. Holly Folk” , 07 Jul 2025 [01:14:11].

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light | AROPL (YouTube): “Salvation in the 7th Covenant with Imam Mahdi [CESNUR 2024]” , 11 Aug 2024 [28:44].

Guru Magazine (Be Scofield): “Ready to Die: England's Doomsday Cult Prepares for the End” , 11 Dec 2025.

Guru Magazine (Be Scofield): “Dark Secrets: Life Inside England’s Doomsday Cult” , 29 Sep 2025.

Guru Magazine (Be Scofield): “Inside an Assassination Plot of England’s Doomsday Cult” , 22 Sep 2025.