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Father and son arrested in Mississippi over suspected kratom overdose deaths of students
Overview
A father and son working at a Mississippi smoke shop have been arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances following the suspected kratom overdose deaths of two University of Mississippi students last month. Law enforcement found packages of suspected kratom derivatives near the victims and subsequently seized similar substances from the local store.
Key points
- Yahya Mohamed Mosleh and Islam Yahya Mosleh were arrested by US prosecutors following the deaths of two University of Mississippi students.
- The students were found dead from suspected drug overdoses on 21 September in separate locations.
- Investigators recovered packages of suspected kratom derivatives, which were traced to a local store where the suspects worked.
- Kratom derivatives like MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16 are classified as schedule I controlled substances in the US and can be significantly more potent than natural kratom or morphine.
- Kratom is legal in some US states, including Mississippi, but is not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration.