Oxford vape store raided following deaths of two Ole Miss students

Two University of Mississippi students, 18-year-old Aidan Hamilton and 20-year-old Robert Strang, were found dead on September 21. Court documents indicate that both individuals had packages of ‘Smax, Pseudo-DHM’ tablets in their possession, described as a kratom-like substance.

Authorities have linked Hamilton to Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store in Oxford, where he made purchases shortly before his death. During a raid on the establishment, law enforcement seized over 500 units of kratom, THC cartridges, and other suspected narcotics. Two employees, Yahya Mohamed Mosleh and Islam Mohamed, were arrested and face charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

Affidavits reveal that when undercover agents attempted to purchase products at the shop, a clerk reportedly warned them to be careful because ‘people were dying’ from the pills. While Hamilton had purchased products from the Oxford shop, Strang was found with similar packaging that he had reportedly purchased from a different location in Yalobusha County. It remains unclear exactly how the kratom contributed to the deaths, though officials noted Hamilton’s condition was consistent with a drug overdose.