Authorities: Customs and police

1. Entering and leaving: customs
_ On arrival in most countries as a foreigner you have to show your passport, a landing card (1) and often a customs declaration form (2). You may need a visa and a vaccination certificate (3), depending on the entry restrictions (4).
_ Customs carry out spot checks/ random checks (5) on people's luggage. They use sniffer dogs (6) to search for drugs and explosives.
_ In most casess, you have to clear customs (7) at the port of entry. Genuine refugees (n- người tị nạn) may try to seek political asylum (9). Customs officers also look out for illegal immigrants, some of whom may be economic migrants (10)

(1) form with your personal details and date of arrival.
(2) form showing how much money and what goods you are carrying
(3) paper proving you have had the neccessary health injections
(4) rules about who can enter a country and for how long
(5) checks done without warning
(6) specially trained dogs who can smell drugs and bombs
(7) take your bag through customs
(8) the port or airport where you first enter a country
(9) permission to stay in another country to avoid polical persecution back home.
(10) people who try to enter from poorer countries just to get work.

2. Police, traffic wardens, etc.
Look at this extract from an information leaflet (n- tờ truyền đơn) for students coming to study and live in an English spearking country.
Note the collocations
_ For some traffic offences (1) you have to pay a fixed penalty (2), and this may be an on-the-spot fine (3).
_ Parking ticket (4) for illegal parking are issued by police and/or traffic wardens (n- người giám sát).
_ If there has been an accident, the police may ask drivers to take a breathalyser (5) test and to make a statement (6) at a police station.
_ Police have limited stop-and-search (7) powers. Surveillance cameras (8) operate in many public areas.
_ A police officer cannot normally enter your home against your wishes without a search warrant (9).

(1) offence is a formal word for an illegal action.
(2) fixed sum payable for a particular offence
(3) fine payable at the time and place that you commit the offence.
(4) papers placed in driver's widscreens fining them for illegal parking
(5) an instrument which you blow into that show if you have consumed alcohol recently.
(6) say what happened and sign a copy of it.
(7) power to stop people and search them in the street
(8) cameras that record everything that happens
(9) offical permission from a judge or magistrate to search your home.

3. Other types of policing

underconver (adj) kín, giấu giếm, lén lút
pramailitary (adj) bán quận sự
squad (n) nhóm người, tổ, đội
corruption (n) tham nhũng, đồi trụy, mục nát
drug (n) ma túy, chất kích thích

_ You'll have to show a vaccination (tiêm ngừa) certificate for tropical disease when you enter the country. (paper proving that you have had injections)
_ People entering from war-torn countries often seek political asylum. (ask for permission to stay to avoid)
_ You have to clear customs if you arrive on an international flight at San Franciso airport, even if you are flying on within the USA. (take your baggage through customs)
_ You have to fill in a customs declaration (form) before going through customs control. (paper saying how much money you're bringing into the country)
_ Some of the people were economic migrants, rahter than genuine political refugees. (people who were poor and travelling hoping to find jobs)
_ Passenger to airline cabin attendant: Could you give me a landing card before we arrive, please? (one of those papers for filling in my passport number are personal details)
_ At the airport the security guards had sniffer dogs. (thoses special dogs that can smell drugs)
_ You'll need a visa; the entry restrictions are very strict. (rules about who can enter the country)
_ You have to fill in the port of entry in this box here. (city where you first entered the country)