Lafayette County

Aiden Hamilton was found unresponsive in a University of Mississippi dorm room, and Robert Strang was found unresponsive at an Oxford residence later that day.

According to Lafayette County Metro Narcotics affidavit, investigators found packages labeled Smacks near both students.

The p- pills were believed to contain kratom or a synthetic kratom analog.

Importantly, the affidavit does not establish that the pills caused either death.

During the briefing, natural kratom consumers spoke about their personal experiences with the plant, while speakers emphasized the distinction between natural kratom and synthetic alternatives, warning that synthetic products are addictive and act as opioids.

The briefing followed recent raids at Lafayette County, including a search warrant executed at Puff's Vape Tobacco and Beer Store on Heritage Drive in Oxford, where two men were arrested on Schedule 1 controlled substance distribution charges.

According to court affidavits, that raid stemmed from the suspected overdose deaths of Ole Miss students Aidan Hamilton and Robert Strang, who had both purchased SMAX pseudo-DHM tablets, packaged pills, law enforcement records initially described as suspected kratom or synthetic kratom.

Advocates with the association argue that synthetic or adulterated products like SMAX are distinct from natural kratom and are improperly being conflated by the public and investigators, particularly as authorities across the Mid-South ramp up enforcement.

Two men were arrested and authorities seized more than 500 units of Kratom, as well as other suspected narcotics from a shop in Oxford, Mississippi, days after two University of Mississippi students were found dead with packaged Kratom at both scenes.

Yahya Mohammed Mosleh, 51 years old, and Islam Mohammed, 18 years old, were arrested September 24th after Lafayette County Metro narcotics agents raided a Puffs Vape tobacco and beer store, according to an Oxford police statement on Ike's.

Authorities said they also seized THC cartridges, gummies, and other suspected narcotics.

The arrest came as investigators continued to investigate how Ole Miss students Robert Strang, 20 years old, and Aiden Hamilton, 18, died September 21.

Uh, two students, uh, were found dead, and, uh, they think they w- they died of this, uh, drug, uh, krat- kratom, known as gas station heroin.

A potent opioid-like drug that can be legally sold in parts of Mississippi, but is restricted in, uh, i- where, uh, where Ole Miss is, Lafayette County, Oxford, Mississippi.

So now two smoke shop employees have been arrested on drug charges just days after a pair of Ole Miss students were found dead under mysterious circumstances in separate incidences.

They went...

The school released their names with their family's approval.

Strang was discovered at an off-campus home, while Hamilton was found in Stuart Hall, a campus dorm, according to the Lafayette County Coroner's Office.

Both deaths occurred within hours of each other, prompting an investigation by the county narcotics task force.

Strang's family spokesman said the family is heartbroken by the loss of their son and deeply grateful for the outpouring of support.

Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindall said that while authorities haven't uncovered indications of foul play, they haven't ruled it out.

Tindall called the timing of the deaths suspicious, noting that if both ingested a substance from the same source, investigators will track it back to that source.

Packages of Kratom sold from a retail store prohibited in Lafayette County were found at both scenes, though its role remains unconfirmed.

Kratom is sold in convenience stores and online, linked to a growing number of overdoses.