Two employees of a smoke shop near the University of Mississippi have been arrested on drug charges following the suspected kratom overdose deaths of two students. Yahya Mohamed Mosleh and Islam Mohamed were booked for possession with intent to distribute after police found over 500 units of kratom along with other drugs during the raid. The business owner, who was previously indicted for trafficking drugs, has left the country. Police are continuing their investigation into the deaths of Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Police in Oxford raided Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store, located near the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) campus, recovering more than 500 units of kratom along with THC cartridges, gummies, and other suspected narcotics. Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, both from Oxford, were arrested for possession with intent to distribute drugs. The store's owner, Amer Alowdi, 40, fled the country after being indicted for trafficking in 2022. This raid came days after the deaths of two Ole Miss students, Aidan Hamilton and Robert Strang, whose scenes included kratom packages. Kratom possession, distribution, and sale have been banned in Oxford since 2019 due to safety concerns.
Written for “Kratom Arrests Near Ole Miss Students…” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
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Two smoke shop employees near the University of Mississippi have been arrested on drug charges days after two students died in a suspected kratom overdose.
Police raided the store just one mile from the campus near where Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, died earlier this week.
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Hamilton → see → campus
They arrested Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, with the two being booked for possession of Schedule 1 drugs with intent to distribute.
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two → arrest → intent
A statement from Oxford Police said agents recovered over 500 units of kratom, along with an assortment of THC cartridges, gummies, and other suspected drugs.
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agents → say → cartridges
Police also highlighted how the business owner Amer Alowdi, 40, was previously indicted for trafficking drugs and has since left the country.
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owner → highlight → country
'This remains an active investigation.
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This → remain → ?
Additional information will be released when appropriate', police added.
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police → release → ?
The boys were identified by their friends who spoke with The Daily Mississippian, Hamilton was a freshman from Colorado while Strang was a junior from Georgia.
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Strang → identify → Georgia
According to the outlet, law enforcement responded to Stewart Hall where they attempted CPR on Hamilton.
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they → accord → Hamilton
Strang was then found dead at an off-campus house on Van Buren Avenue, sources told the outlet.
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sources → find → outlet
Officers attempted CPR on Aidan Hamilton, seen here inside his dorm, after he was found inside Stewart Hall
In a statement, Strang's family said they were 'heartbroken by the loss of our dear son and are trying to process this unimaginable loss'
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they → attempt → loss
In a post to her Facebook page just last month, Aidan's mother Kathie posted an image of him inside his dorm and outside of the school.
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mother → post → school
She described her and her husband Peter as being 'empty nesters', writing: 'We are officially empty nesters - this is going to take some getting used to!!!!'
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this → describe → some
In a statement to Fox News, Scott Sayres, a family attorney for Strang's relatives, said: 'We are heartbroken by the loss of our dear son and are trying to process this unimaginable loss.
'We are deeply grateful for the incredible outpouring of love, prayers and support by so many beloved friends and family.
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We → say → friends
Their kindness has meant more to our family than we can ever express.'
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we → mean → family
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Shawnboda Mead announced their passing on Tuesday.
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Mead → announce → Tuesday
Shortly after the news broke, Mead slammed rumors spreading on social media that more students may be unaccounted for.
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students → break → media
'We encourage our community not to speculate about the circumstances or repeat information that has not been officially confirmed,' she said.
But, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit shared a social media post stating that 'packaged kratom' was located during both death investigations.
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kratom → encourage → investigations
Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, were arrested and booked for possession of Schedule 1 drugs with intent to distribute
Officials said that kratom, pictured here, was found during both investigations into the deaths
The Lyceum, oldest building on the campus of the University of Mississippi on April 12, 2008 in Oxford
Kratom, an unregulated herbal extract, acts as a mild stimulant that people use for energy, pain relief, and managing withdrawal.
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people → arrest → withdrawal
It acts as an opioid in large doses.
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It → act → doses
The substance was sold from an unnamed retail store, police said.
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police → sell → store
It is unclear if kratom or other substances played a role in their deaths, the agency said.
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agency → play → deaths
Authorities have warned people to refrain from ingesting kratom or other substances that have not been prescribed by a medical professional.
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that → warn → professional
'Local, state, and federal partners are working collaboratively to gather the facts and provide answers as quickly and responsibly as possible,' the agency said.
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agency → work → answers
'We are also working closely with the families involved and ask that their privacy be respected during an incredibly difficult time.'
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privacy → work → time
The university echoed the police, stating that their thoughts are with the friends, family, and loved ones of the two students.
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thoughts → echo → students
The Aporia
