Johnny Depp Could Face Jail For Smuggling His Dogs Into Australia

Hollywood star Johnny Depp could face up to 10 years in an Australian jail for smuggling his dogs into the country.

An investigation is underway to see if the star or his pilot should be prosecuted for failing to declare Yorkshire terriers Pistol and Boo to authorities on their arrival in Brisbane aboard a private jet in April.

A Senate committee was today told if the matter proceeds to a court and Depp is found guilty, the actor could face jail time or a maximum fine of $340,000.

Depp has unwittingly become the face of a campaign telling the world not to mess with Australia’s hard line biosecurity regime.

That’s how the federal government is promoting its “war on terrier” after winning Australia widespread international attention for telling Depp’s dogs to “bugger off” back to the United States or be put down.

“There’s a lot of people who are much more informed of our biosecurity regime internationally as a result of this event,” parliamentary secretary to the agriculture minister Richard Colbeck told the parliamentary hearing.

“It’s been a pretty good advertisement for our system.”

But while the actor has become the unofficial — albeit unwilling — face of Australian biosecurity, he could face 10 years in a jail Down Under if he’s found guilty of smuggling in his dogs, Pistol and Boo.

An investigation is under way to see if the star or his pilot should be prosecuted for failing to declare Yorkshire terriers to authorities on their arrival in Brisbane aboard a private jet in April.

While it’s still not known how the dogs were brought into the country, officials said they would not reveal more for fear of prejudicing the investigation.

“We’re going through documents to make decisions about quite serious steps we’ll take (and against) whom,” deputy secretary Rona Mellor told the hearing in Canberra.

An officer who boarded the plane to conduct checks didn’t find the dogs either, leading to questions about whether the terriers were kept hidden at the time.

“The animals weren’t declared, nor were they seen,” Ms Mellor said.

Pistol and Boo were eventually discovered after being spotted at a poodle grooming parlour weeks later.

Depp and his wife Amber Heard had the dogs sent back to the US after being given notice to remove them or have authorities take them to be deported or put down.

One measure being considered as a result of the debacle is to allow sniffer dogs to enter private jets to check for other animals, Ms Mellor said.

Depp is shooting the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film on the Gold Coast.

He has since left Australia and flown home to the US to celebrate his daughter’s 16th birthday before returning to resume filming.

Depp was due to leave the Gold Coast set of the fifth Pirates instalment franchise tonight for the scheduled private flight back to Los Angeles.

It is understood the trip had been factored into the filming schedule for months, with Depp requesting the time away to be with Lily-Rose when she turns 16 on Thursday.

It will be a double celebration for the family as it is the first time Depp has seen his daughter since she scored a major role in a new Natalie Portman movie, the French drama Planetarium, which is set in the 1930s.

- dailytelegraph.com.au