Police arrest several after raids over abuse allegations in Crewe

A mass police operation in Crewe brought more than 500 officers into three addresses, including Webb House, as investigators pursued allegations of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery linked to one woman.

Cheshire Police said the raids took place at around 8.50am on Wednesday 29 April 2026, after officers first became aware of the allegations in March 2026. The claims relate to conduct said to have taken place in 2023, and police said several people were arrested during the operation.

The force said the case involves one victim, a woman who was a member of the group at the time. Officers named the religious group as the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, while stressing that the inquiry is not into the religion itself but into the serious allegations reported to police.

The scale of the response underlined how exploitation can remain hidden in ordinary streets and homes until a complaint, disclosure or longer investigation brings it to light. Modern slavery cases often sit alongside other forms of abuse, including coercion and forced marriage, and police said this inquiry brought all three strands together in one case involving a single victim.

Cheshire Police said it was working closely with the local authority to support residents from the property and that safeguarding measures were in place. Chief Superintendent Gareth Wrigley said there was no risk to the wider community and that patrols had been stepped up to reassure local residents.

The operation also rippled through the neighbourhood around Victoria Avenue, near Queens Park, where roads were closed and police vehicles and ambulances were seen near King George V playing fields. A police helicopter was also reported to have assisted as officers from neighbouring forces joined Cheshire Police at the scene.

The force said anyone with information should contact Cheshire Police through the Public Portal or by calling 101. The investigation remains focused on the allegations themselves, and on how such abuse can be carried out behind closed doors in plain sight.