Two men have been arrested in Oxford, Mississippi, after a police raid uncovered more than 500 units of kratom at a smoke shop near the Ole Miss campus.
Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, both of Oxford, were booked Friday on possession with intent to distribute, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit announced. The raid on the tobacco and vape shop also yielded THC cartridges, gummies, and other suspected narcotics, according to authorities.
The shop’s owner, Amer Alowdi, 40, had already fled the country before he could be prosecuted on a 2022 narcotics trafficking indictment, police said.
The arrests came just days after two University of Mississippi students were found dead in separate incidents on Monday. Freshman Aidan Hamilton, 18, and junior Robert Strang, 20, were identified as the victims in what has shaken the college community.
“Packaged Kratom sold from a retail store” was discovered at both death scenes, police said. Authorities have not confirmed any direct connection between the business and the two students’ deaths.
Strang, from Atlanta, was found at an off-campus house. He was remembered as a “dear son” and had served as co-chairman of the 2026 Rush for the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
Hamilton, from Colorado, was discovered in his dormitory. His family described him as a “bright, wonderful young man who was taken too soon” and said he “is greatly missed.”
The back-to-back deaths and the subsequent raid have put Oxford on edge as investigators work to determine whether the kratom found at the scenes came from the shop where Mosleh and Mohamed were arrested. Police have not disclosed whether the packaged kratom bore any markings linking it to that specific retail location.
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit has not released additional details about the timing of the raid or what prompted the operation so soon after the students’ deaths. The unit also did not specify the exact nature of the “other suspected narcotics” seized alongside the kratom products and THC items.
Kratom, an herbal substance derived from a Southeast Asian tree, has drawn increasing regulatory scrutiny in recent years. It is not classified as a controlled substance under federal law, though some states and municipalities have restricted its sale. Mississippi does not have a statewide ban, leaving regulation to local jurisdictions.
Alowdi’s 2022 indictment and subsequent flight from the country suggest the shop had already drawn law enforcement attention before this week’s events. Police did not specify which country Alowdi fled to or whether efforts to extradite him are underway.
The university has not issued a statement specifically addressing the deaths or the raid, and Ole Miss officials have not indicated whether any campus-wide warnings were issued to students about kratom products.
Hamilton’s family statement emphasized their loss without addressing the circumstances of his death. Strang’s fraternity affiliation and role in rush planning pointed to an active campus life cut short.