Two employees at a smoke shop near the University of Mississippi have been arrested on drug charges, days after two students died in suspected kratom overdoses.

Police raided the store, located about one mile from campus and near the areas where Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, died earlier this week.

Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, were arrested and booked on charges of possessing Schedule 1 drugs with the intent to distribute.

According to a statement from Oxford Police, officers recovered more than 500 units of kratom, as well as THC cartridges, gummies and other suspected drugs.

Police also noted that the store’s owner, 40-year-old Amer Alowdi, had previously been indicted on drug-trafficking charges and has since left the country.

“This remains an active investigation. Additional information will be released when appropriate,” police said. Authorities have not linked the arrests to the students’ deaths.

Ole Miss Students Found Dead Identified

Friends who spoke with The Daily Mississippian identified the students. Hamilton was a freshman from Colorado, while Strang was a junior from Georgia.

The outlet reported that law enforcement officers responded to Stewart Hall, where they attempted to perform CPR on Hamilton.

Strang was later found dead at an off-campus house on Van Buren Avenue, sources told the outlet.

Last month, Aidan’s mother, Kathie, shared photos of him inside his dorm and outside the school on Facebook.

She wrote that she and her husband, Peter, were “empty nesters,” adding: “We are officially empty nesters – this is going to take some getting used to!!!!”

In a statement to Fox News, Scott Sayres, an attorney for Strang’s family, said: “We are heartbroken by the loss of our dear son and are trying to process this unimaginable loss.”

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“We are deeply grateful for the incredible outpouring of love, prayers and support by so many beloved friends and family. Their kindness has meant more to our family than we can ever express.”

Vice Chancellor Announces Student Deaths

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Shawnboda Mead announced the students’ deaths on Tuesday.

Soon after the news emerged, Mead pushed back against social media rumors claiming that additional students might be unaccounted for.

“We encourage our community not to speculate about the circumstances or repeat information that has not been officially confirmed,” she said.

But, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit shared a social media post stating that ‘packaged kratom’ was located during both death investigations. 

Kratom, an unregulated herbal extract, acts as a mild stimulant that people use for energy, pain relief, and managing withdrawal. It acts as an opioid in large doses. 

The substance was sold from an unnamed retail store, police said. It is unclear if kratom or other substances played a role in their deaths, the agency said. 

Authorities Issue Warning Over Kratom

Authorities have warned people to refrain from ingesting kratom or other substances that have not been prescribed by a medical professional. 

‘Local, state, and federal partners are working collaboratively to gather the facts and provide answers as quickly and responsibly as possible,’ the agency said. 

‘We are also working closely with the families involved and ask that their privacy be respected during an incredibly difficult time.’ 

Police also reminded the community that Narcan, an over-the-counter medication that reverses an opioid overdose, is available in vending machines across campus. 

The university echoed the police, stating that their thoughts are with the friends, family, and loved ones of the two students. 

Britain’s newest attack submarine, HMS Agamemnon, left the shipyard yesterday after spending 13 years under construction.

The 7,400-tonne, 97-metre hunter-killer submarine is the sixth vessel in the Royal Navy’s Astute-class nuclear-powered fleet. It was built at a cost of £1.65 billion.

The submarine’s construction was marked by an exceptionally lengthy delay.

Although it was commissioned in 2013, the Ministry of Defence had expected HMS Agamemnon to become an operational part of Britain’s nuclear fleet by 2022.

Carrying a crew of 100, HMS Agamemnon departed BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness for sea trials, the next major stage before it formally enters active service.

During its maiden voyage, the submarine navigated the shipyard’s dock system before entering the Walney Channel and heading into the Irish Sea for the first time in open waters.

Once operational, HMS Agamemnon will join fellow Astute-class hunter-killer submarines HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful, HMS Audacious and HMS Anson in Royal Navy service.

First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said HMS Agamemnon “embodies the best of British engineering and the professionalism of our submariners” and would be “one of the most advanced submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy”.

Sir Gwyn added: “As we continue to strengthen our warfighting readiness, HMS Agamemnon will play a central role in keeping the United Kingdom safe, contributing to Nato’s collective defence and ensuring we are ready to lead, fight and win.”

The £1.65 billion nuclear submarine takes its name from the ancient Greek king Agamemnon, while also paying tribute to Lord Nelson’s favourite ship, which was affectionately known as “Eggs and Bacon”.

HMS Agamemnon was formally named at BAE Systems’ Submarines site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

The vessel was blessed and christened, with a bottle of beer from the local Ulverston Brewing Company smashed against its hull.

The sixth Astute-class submarine, which measures 97 metres in length, had been scheduled to launch in 2024 before being commissioned into the Royal Navy.

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The submarine’s departure comes after reports earlier this year claimed that the Royal Navy’s entire available fleet of hunter-killer submarines was stuck in port and unable to sail, leaving Britain exposed to the threat posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

In another setback for Britain’s Armed Forces, all five of its existing Astute-class submarines were said to be laid up while awaiting maintenance and other repair work.

Military experts have warned that the shortage of operational nuclear-powered attack submarines—which can carry up to 38 Spearfish torpedoes and a battery of Tomahawk missiles—could leave the UK’s undersea internet and power cables dangerously vulnerable to sabotage by the Kremlin.

The submarines also have a crucial role in protecting the larger Vanguard-class vessels, which carry the Trident ballistic missiles that form the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent.

The revelations came just a day after the Mail reported that one of Britain’s flagship £3.5 billion aircraft carriers had broken down again and been forced into port in Norway for repairs.

And on Friday the head of the UK’s military warned that the threats faced by Britain are greater than at any time since the Cold War.

In stark comments, Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, said Russia has been ‘probing, challenging, testing our defences’ and is ‘raising the stakes and risks crossing a line’.

He told the BBC: ‘I’m very clear that this is the most dangerous time I have known in my working life. 

‘The risks and threats to this country are greater than I have known since the Cold War.’ 

Lord West, former First Sea Lord and Labour security minister, said it was ‘unacceptable’ and ‘very worrying’ that Astute subs are out of action.

‘The attack submarines are fundamental for looking after our ballistic missile submarines,’ he added.

‘They are fundamental for frightening and terrifying the Russians.

‘The fact that there has not been money invested in dry docks, in the maintenance facilities, in the men required to maintain and repair the submarines, in the spare parts for those submarines is why we have got to this position.

‘It is just unacceptable and puts us in a very difficult position. If we haven’t even got an attack submarine available for use, then things are looking pretty bad.’ 

Presley Gerber was only 15 when he entered the spotlight, following his supermodel mother Cindy Crawford onto the runway and securing campaigns with brands including Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana.

However, the demands of sudden fame became overwhelming for the only son of Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber. After just a few years, he walked away from modeling.

Behind the scenes, Presley was already battling mental-health struggles and felt he “didn’t ever think he was enough,” a source told the Daily Mail. Around the same period, he also began turning to hard drugs.

Presley hoped to build a life beyond the industry that had made his family famous. At different points, he considered becoming a photographer or pursuing a career in real estate.

“He wanted to find his own path, away from his famous parents,” a source told the Daily Mail. “He wanted a career that was all his that he was proud of.”

Earlier this year, he had also begun considering training to become a professional therapist.

Those ambitions never fully took shape. Presley continued struggling to find direction before his shock death from a suspected overdose on Sunday, aged 27, inside the Resolutions Living rehabilitation home in Santa Monica, California.

Before making his teenage runway debut, Presley was known for his broad smile and relaxed Malibu style. Over the years, however, his transformation was stark: he tattooed the word “misunderstood” across his face and received a DUI in 2018.

“There’s something to be said about when I started working, which was like around the age of 14 and I started traveling and I stopped doing like all [sports],” Presley said on Instagram in March this year.

“What I’m trying to say is the less activity that was in my life, especially for me in the ocean, like the more medication I found having to be integrated into my life, [my] quality of life rapidly decreased with the decrease in natural endorphins and dopamine.”

He went on to acknowledge that he felt he “had to start making money, I had to start, I got a job.”

“It wasn’t that he didn’t try. He just couldn’t seem to handle the pressure of being born into a famous family. He always felt he was being judged by outsiders,” a source previously told the Daily Mail.

After stepping away from modeling, Presley tried to work out what might bring him happiness, but he found little success.

“Presley really struggled to find his place in the world, but he was lost,” said a source close to the Gerber family.

“He had ADHD so it was hard for him to focus, it was a challenge sometimes to process his thoughts.

“He said he was always learning from his experiences, but he couldn’t get to a place where he felt confident enough to have a solid career.

“He was also very reflective and into talking about mental health. Real estate agents are not like that, they go to parties and drink and live the high life, they throw soirees, take people to fancy dinners, make small talk. They don’t sit at home and talk about staying sober. It just wasn’t a match.”

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And then there was the issue of his image.

‘You can’t sell a $20 million mansion when you have a tattoo of a marijuana leaf on your hand. Wealthy people don’t like that,’ the source said bluntly.

There was also a real worry among loved ones that he was starting to resemble Aaron Carter, the dashing blonde singer who drowned after taking sedatives in 2022 at the age of 34.

‘There was worry from the family that Presley was headed down Aaron’s path, sure, and there was a big fear his drugs could be laced with Fentanyl,’ said the source. 

In his last months, Presley told friends he was happy with how popular his candid social media posts about mental health had become.

‘He did talk this year about becoming an addiction counselor so he could help other people, that was important to him and made him feel good,’ said our source.

‘He was into psychology and what makes people depressed. He wanted to heal people and have real conversations.’

But his lack of education was a serious hindrance. 

‘He was very smart, but he never went to high school really, though he got his diploma. He studied while he was modeling, so he kind of just got it done,’ the source said.

‘And he never went to college. So it was a long road ahead for him to become a therapist.’

To become a professional therapist, he would have had to complete four years of college and then a master’s degree.

‘Kids like Presley, who already have so much money, don’t usually take six years out of their life to study psychology to end up earning $100,000 a year as a therapist. They like to have fun,’ said the source.

The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Crawford for comment. 

Presley was found dead in a bedroom of a Santa Monica rehab on Sunday. 

According to a police statement, officers ‘responded to a report of a possible overdose’ at approximately 9.35am on September 20. ‘At this time, there is no indication of foul play.’

His cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Two employees at a smoke shop near the University of Mississippi have been arrested on drug charges, days after the suspected kratom overdose deaths of two students.

Police searched the store, located about one mile from the Oxford campus and near where Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, died earlier this week.

Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Mohamed, 18, were arrested and booked on suspicion of possessing Schedule 1 drugs with intent to distribute.

Oxford Police said investigators seized more than 500 units of kratom, as well as THC cartridges, gummies and other suspected drugs.

Police also noted that the store’s owner, 40-year-old Amer Alowdi, had previously been indicted on drug-trafficking charges and has since left the country.

“This remains an active investigation. Additional information will be released when appropriate,” police said. Authorities have not linked the arrests to the students’ deaths.

Friends who spoke with The Daily Mississippian identified the students. Hamilton was a freshman from Colorado, while Strang was a junior from Georgia.

According to the outlet, law enforcement officers responded to Stewart Hall, where they attempted to perform CPR on Hamilton.

Strang was later found dead at an off-campus home on Van Buren Avenue, sources told the outlet.

Last month, Aidan’s mother, Kathie, shared a photograph of him inside his dorm and outside the university on Facebook.

She described herself and her husband, Peter, as “empty nesters,” writing: “We are officially empty nesters – this is going to take some getting used to!!!!”

In a statement to Fox News, Scott Sayres, an attorney for Strang’s family, said: “We are heartbroken by the loss of our dear son and are trying to process this unimaginable loss.

“We are deeply grateful for the incredible outpouring of love, prayers and support from so many beloved friends and family. Their kindness has meant more to our family than we can ever express.”

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Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Shawnboda Mead announced the students’ deaths on Tuesday.

Soon after the announcement, Mead pushed back against rumors circulating on social media that additional students might be unaccounted for.

“We encourage our community not to speculate about the circumstances or repeat information that has not been officially confirmed,” she said.

However, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit said in a social media post that “packaged kratom” had been found during both investigations into the deaths.

Kratom, an unregulated herbal extract, acts as a mild stimulant that people use for energy, pain relief, and managing withdrawal. It acts as an opioid in large doses. 

The substance was sold from an unnamed retail store, police said. It is unclear if kratom or other substances played a role in their deaths, the agency said. 

Authorities have warned people to refrain from ingesting kratom or other substances that have not been prescribed by a medical professional. 

‘Local, state, and federal partners are working collaboratively to gather the facts and provide answers as quickly and responsibly as possible,’ the agency said. 

‘We are also working closely with the families involved and ask that their privacy be respected during an incredibly difficult time.’ 

Police also reminded the community that Narcan, an over-the-counter medication that reverses an opioid overdose, is available in vending machines across campus. 

The university echoed the police, stating that their thoughts are with the friends, family, and loved ones of the two students.