Poppy Seeds

I do like having bread rolls with poppy seeds on them, but poppy seeds are a banned substance here in the UAE. On March 10th 2008, Gulf News published this article which includes the line

Poppy seeds, a common ingredient in dishes in some countries, are illegal her.
(my bold, my italics, their spelling mistake).

So, will somebody please explain to me why Spinneys are allowed to sell bagels covered in poppy seeds? Especially given that I can be put in prison for bringing the things into the country.