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Toxicology reports for two Ole Miss students who died in suspected overdoses found three of the same substances in their systems after they purchased synthetic kratom from a local smoke shop, according to prosecutors.
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they → see → prosecutors
Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, died in separate locations in Oxford, Mississippi, on September 21 after police received separate reports that they were unresponsive and possibly overdosing.
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they → die → reports
Prosecutors said toxicology reports found mitragynine and the Schedule I controlled substances MGM-15 and MGPI in both students' systems, according to a court document obtained by the Daily Mail.
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reports → say → Mail
Mitragynine is the primary active compound in kratom, a substance with opioid-like effects derived from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia.
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Mitragynine → derive → Asia
The Department of Justice announced updated emergency actions targeting the two substances and other powerful kratom-related drugs, as federal officials move to crack down on dangerous, concentrated products.
'Dangerous and addictive opioids do not belong behind convenience store counters,' Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
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Blanche → announce → counters
Kratom use in the United States began gaining traction in the early 2000s before becoming widespread around 2015, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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use → begin → Medicine
Robert Strang, a 20-year-old from Atlanta, died on September 21 after police received reports, he was unresponsive and possibly overdosing
Aidan Hamilton, an 18-year-old freshman from Colorado, was the second student to be found dead
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Hamilton → die → Colorado
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Department announced on October 1 that two smoke shop employees, Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and his son Islam Mosleh, 18, were facing federal charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
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employees → announce → intent
The pair worked at Puffs Vape Tobacco and Beer in Oxford, just outside the university.
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pair → work → university
The business was searched following reports of an alleged sale of illegal substances, and police located kratom, THC cartridges and other suspected narcotics, according to Oxford Police.
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police → search → Police
The same day, Oxford Police announced another suspected overdose involving a 22-year-old on Sweetgum Lane, about five miles from the university.
'
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Police → announce → university
The Oxford Police Department is once again warning the public about the serious and potentially deadly dangers associated with synthetic kratom products,' police said.
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police → warn → products
'Synthetic and manufactured kratom products can contain powerful and unpredictable substances.'
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products → manufacture → substances
The third overdose victim was not a student, and police do not believe the incident is related to the university.
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incident → believe → university
Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, faces federal charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute
Islam Mohamed, 18, also faces federal charges after officers recovered more than 500 units of synthetic kratom at the smoke shop he worked at in Mississippi
Authorities responded around 5am and found the individual unresponsive.
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individual → face → 5
Emergency responders revived him at the scene and rushed him to the hospital.
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responders → revive → hospital
Police said he was expected to survive.
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he → say → ?
Officers learned that the individual also possessed synthetic kratom products, although they were not believed to have been purchased in Oxford.
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they → learn → Oxford
The department added that the recent incident is not connected to the ongoing investigation into the two students' deaths.
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incident → add → deaths
Hamilton, a freshman from Colorado, was found inside Stewart Hall on campus.
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Hamilton → find → campus
Emergency responders attempted CPR but were unable to save him.
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responders → attempt → him
Strang, a junior from Georgia, was discovered at an off-campus house on Van Buren Avenue.
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Strang → discover → Avenue
Puffs Vape Tobacco and Beer Store owner Amer Alowdi was previously indicted for trafficking drugs and has since left the country
According to federal court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, bank records showed that both students made purchases at Puffs Vape Tobacco and Beer on the same date.
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students → indict → date
An informant working with police went undercover three days after the students were found dead and reported purchasing 'kratom-based pills' at the shop.
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students → work → shop
'The clerk told the informant to be careful taking the pills, because people were dying from them,' the affidavit read.
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affidavit → tell → them
That same day, narcotics officers searched the store and seized alleged kratom products worth $1,799, according to an affidavit, cited by ABC News.
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officers → search → News
The affidavit noted that forensic testing confirmed that some of the pills contained kratom.
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some → note → kratom
The shop's business owner, Amer Alowdi, 40, was previously indicted for trafficking drugs and has since left the country, according to Oxford Police.
Investigators also found that Strang allegedly purchased pills containing kratom at a nearby gas station called Express Mart #7.
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Strang → indict → station
The affidavit noted that the purchases occurred on September 9 and 11.
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purchases → note → September
Officers purchased similar pills and sent them to a forensic lab for analysis.
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Officers → purchase → analysis
Although prosecutors have cited toxicology findings, an official cause or manner of death has yet to be released.
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cause → cite → death
Officials said that kratom (pictured here in capsules and its natural powdered form) was found during both investigations into the deaths at Ole Miss
Robert Strang is seen here in a post made by the Ole Miss Phi Delt Alumni showcasing their Rush Chairs for 2026
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Strang → say → 2026
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Department said the federal court proceedings involving the two smoke shop employees represent 'another step in an investigation that remains active and ongoing.
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that → say → investigation
Law enforcement has not stopped working this case.
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enforcement → stop → case
'Investigators continue to review evidence and pursue additional information, and additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation develops,' the statement added.
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statement → continue → information
Kratom can produce stimulant-like effects at lower doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses.
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Kratom → produce → doses
It is sometimes marketed for energy, pain relief or managing opioid withdrawal.
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It → market → withdrawal
According to Action 5 News, Yahya will remain in custody as he awaits trial after a judge determined he was a flight risk, while his son, Islam, will be released on a $20,000 unsecured bond with conditions such as turning in his passport.
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son → accord → passport
The Aporia
