UK Islamist sect members arrested over rape and slavery allegations
More than 500 British police officers have raided the headquarters of an Islamic sect in Cheshire, arresting nine members of the so-called Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light – a fringe Shia-inspired movement that relocated to Britain from Sweden in 2021.
Cheshire Police said the investigation began in March 2026 after officers were made aware of allegations of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery, reported to have taken place in 2023. The alleged offences all involved one victim – a woman who was a member of the group at the time.
At around 8.50am on Wednesday, officers executed three search warrants, including at Webb House, a former orphanage that serves as the sect’s headquarters. According to Cheshire Police, six men and three women of American, Mexican, Italian, Spanish, Egyptian, and Swedish nationalities were detained.
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is a secretive movement founded in the late 1990s by followers of Shia Islam. It is believed to be active in over 40 countries and claims around 7,000 adherents.
The group had previously faced scrutiny in Sweden, where immigration authorities issued deportation orders against 69 of its members before it moved to the UK in 2021. It is also understood to be under investigation by the Home Office over its use of skilled worker visas. The group has denied any wrongdoing.
The Webb House operation follows a series of similar cases. In February 2026, a former imam in east London was found guilty of 21 counts including rape of children under 13, sexual assault and assault by penetration after exploiting his position as a spiritual guide. In 2023, a Shia cleric in Birmingham was also jailed for sexually assaulting a vulnerable woman who turned to him for “spiritual healing.”
The raid also comes amid continued pressure on the British government to address the issue of grooming gangs where men, mostly of Pakistani origin, who have systematically raped thousands of vulnerable young British girls over the past two decades.
In June, Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized a new national inquiry into the matter. In London alone, police have been reviewing some 9,000 child sexual exploitation cases, with an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 involving grooming gangs.
