Poppy seeds can get you detained in the UAE and Singapore: Flight rules explained

4 min readNew DelhiJul 30, 2026 04:03 PM IST There is a long list of items that are prohibited from being carried on flights. One such is the commonly used poppy seeds or khus khus, which are used in many Indian gravy dishes or sprinkled on breads and buns for that extra crunch. According to aviation expert K Anuradha Suresh, a retired Senior AGM at Air India, carrying poppy seeds on flights can be risky, and in several countries, it is “strictly illegal”. DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.Since poppy seeds come from the opium plant, they can contain trace amounts of opiates (like morphine and codeine), said Anuradha. “While raw or baked seeds are treated as standard food items in many Western nations, customs authorities