(Photo from Lafayette County Sheriff's Facebook page)
- The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit is calling for immediate legislative hearings to address synthetic kratom-related products. “We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy before addressing the dangers these substances pose to Mississippians.”
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit is reminding the public that the investigation into the deaths of two Ole Miss students is still underway.
Last week, the two students were found deceased in separate locations in Oxford. The students were an 18-year-old male from Colorado and a 20-year-old male from Georgia.
Kratom products were found at the scene of both deaths, which has sparked speculation into whether the substance could have played a role in their demise.
Investigators were alerted soon after the discovery of the students that illegal substances were being sold out of a convenience store known as the Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store. An investigation into the tip resulted in the discovery of 500 units of substances that contain “kratom-related” substances, THC vape cartridges and other substances. Two employees of the business were subsequently arrested – 51-year-old Yahya Mohamed Mosleh and 18-year-old Islam Mohamed – for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The suspects are now being held on a $100,000 bond. The owner of the store, 40-year-old Amer Alowdi, left the country after he was indicted back in 2022 for trafficking.
The Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit updated the public on its investigation Wednesday, noting that their warning over kratom “was not a declaration that kratom or any specific substance caused either death.”
“From the earliest stages of these two separate death investigations, investigators recognized the possibility that illegal or dangerous substances may have been involved,” the unit stated. “During the investigations, packaging associated with kratom-related products was discovered at both locations. This information prompted law enforcement to issue a public safety warning out of an abundance of caution. That warning was not a declaration that kratom or any specific substance caused either death.”
The unit said the investigation is still underway to determine not only the cause of the deaths, but where the substances were procured.
“These investigations are far from over,” the agency explained. “We are awaiting official autopsy and toxicology findings from the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office and associated forensic testing to help determine the cause and manner of each death. Until those results are received and evaluated, we will not speculate about what substances, if any, contributed to these deaths.”
The unit is also working to determine the chemical composition of the kratom-related substances and if the deaths are connected.
It was noted that on August 26, the federal government has tentatively placed several synthetic opioid substances under the Schedule I designation under the Controlled Substances Act. As such, the unit is calling for the Mississippi Legislature to take action on the substances known as Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16. The unit said the time for waiting to address synthetic kratom-related products is over.
“We need immediate legislative hearings, a thorough examination of the state’s controlled substances laws, and clear answers about how manufacturers, distributors and retailers can be held accountable when their actions put lives at risk,” urges the agency. “We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy before addressing the dangers these substances pose to Mississippians.”
State Rep. Lee Yancey (R) has attempted to ban all kratom substances in previous sessions. He told Magnolia Tribune earlier this week that it has been difficult due to Senate’s opposition to taking up those bills, most likely due to a lack of federal action.
READ MORE: Mississippi lawmaker calls for ban on kratom products
The Legislature did pass HB 1077 in 2025, which set age restrictions, banned the 7-OH synthetic form of Kratom, and mandated all natural kratom products be stored behind the counter.
Yancey noted that each time a manufacturer changes an element of synthetic controlled substances, the process to ban the items has to start from the beginning.
“Those would have to be specifically mentioned in the law to be banned,” Yancey explained. “Cause they can change one molecule and have as potent of a drug and it not meet the letter of the law and escape regulation. It’s like playing whack a mole with all these drugs.”
