US father and son arrested after 'gas station heroin' deaths

A father and son who worked at a Mississippi smoke shop have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of at least one university student who died from a suspected overdose of kratom, sometimes called "gas station heroin" in the US.The pair worked at a shop that allegedly sold derivatives of the substance to Mississippi" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="209855" data-entity-type="organization">University of Mississippi students.US prosecutors charged Yahya Mohamed Mosleh, 51, and Islam Yahya Mosleh, 18, for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances in connection with the death investigation of two Ole Miss students last month.Although their deaths have not officially been attributed to kratom, officials afterward issued warnings about consuming kratom.The criminal complaint alleges that on 21 September, an Ole Miss student was found dead in his dorm room. The apparent cause of death "appeared to be consistent with a drug overdose", the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Mississippi said in a press release. Law enforcement found packages - with some tablets missing - of suspected kratom derivatives.About an hour later, a second student was found dead from a suspected overdose in another location, also with packages of suspected kratom derivatives.Officials connected the packages with the local vape, tobacco and beer store, the US Attorney's statement said.