Man banned from town after religious group 'slavery' raids

A man has been banned from a town after raids on the headquarters of a religious sect last month. Sajid Khokhar, 48, was the eleventh person arrested after raids on the former Crewe orphanage used as a compound by the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light.

More than 500 police raided the Edwardian building on April 29 amid allegations of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery, reported to have taken place in 2023. Six men and three women were arrested.

Khokhar was arrested at an address in Crewe on Thursday (May 7) and was conditionally bailed. On Monday, (May 1), Chester Magistrates' Court imposed a Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order on Khokhar.

On Friday, (May 8), the investigation saw a 30-year-old Mexican man was arrested in Croydon on suspicion of sexual assault by penetration and modern slavery offences. He was released on conditional bail.

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Cheshire police said an application is being made for a Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order against the man which is set to be heard in court next week.

The Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order against Khokhar bans him from entering Crewe, as well as banning him from contacting the victim, or having unsupervised contact with any children without the express approval of Social Services for the area.

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He is also banned from from travelling outside the UK in the company of any person save for his biological children, and must not arrange transport for any person other than his children.

Khokhar must inform police of any address he resides at for more than 24 hours in the UK, and has had to surrender his passport to officers.

The investigation began in March 2026 when Cheshire Police were made aware of allegations of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery, involving members of a religious group called the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light.

The offences are reported to have taken place in 2023 and involved one victim, a woman, who was a member of the group at the time the offences occurred.

Speaking after the most recent arrest in Croydon, Superintendent Adam Waller, Head of the Major Crime Directorate at Cheshire Constabulary, said: “As this arrest shows, this investigation is still very much active and remains at a fast pace.

“We can confirm that the suspect arrested is also a known member of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Crewe, and his arrest is linked to the original allegations which were reported to us in March 2026.