Father and son arrested over Mississippi students' suspected kratom deaths
A father and son working at a Mississippi smoke shop have been charged over the deaths of two University of Mississippi students in suspected kratom overdoses.
Smoke shop duo charged after two Ole Miss students die in suspected kratom overdoses
A father and son who worked at a Mississippi smoke shop have been arrested and charged in connection with the deaths of at least two University of Mississippi students, bbc.co.uk reports. Both students are believed to have died from overdoses involving kratom derivatives, a substance sometimes referred to as "gas station heroin" in the United States.
US prosecutors charged Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and his son Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18, with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The charges are linked to the deaths of the two Ole Miss students, which occurred last month.
According to the criminal complaint, on 21 September an Ole Miss student was found dead in his dorm room. The US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Mississippi stated that the apparent cause of death "appeared to be consistent with a drug overdose." Law enforcement found packages of suspected kratom derivatives at the scene, with some tablets missing. Approximately an hour later, a second student was discovered dead at another location, also with packages of suspected kratom derivatives nearby.
Investigators connected both sets of packages to a local vape, tobacco and beer store where the Moslehs worked. Search warrants were executed and suspected kratom derivative controlled substances were seized from the premises. The two men were subsequently arrested.
Although the students' deaths have not been officially attributed to kratom, officials issued public warnings about the substance in the aftermath. Mississippi prosecutors noted that kratom derivatives — including MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16 — are now classified as schedule I controlled substances in the US, and can be significantly more potent than natural kratom leaf products and morphine.
Kratom is a herb with opioid-like effects that has grown in popularity in the US over the past decade. It is typically sold over the counter and consumed in pill or liquid form. The substance is not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration and remains legal in several states, including Mississippi. In the UK, however, kratom is illegal.
Anti-kratom advocates have pushed for wider bans for years, arguing that the substance poses serious health risks, particularly as more potent synthetic derivatives become more widely available.
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)