Johnny Depp had better hope, for his sake, that Australia’s bark is worse than its bite.
Though his fugitive dogs have long since buggered off back to the States, the drama surrounding them is far from over, and in the latest development, the star has been threatened with massive fines and even possible jail time by our government.
Per reports in Sky News, a senate hearing yesterday heard that if Depp is found guilty of breaching Australia’s biosecurity laws, he could face a maximum fine of $340,000, or a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
The investigation is still trying to determine the precise method by which Pistol and Boo were smuggled in, but it seems our government is determined to make Depp a poster boy for why you don’t play knifey spooney with Australia’s ecosystem.
“[There are] a lot of people who are much more informed of our biosecurity regime internationally as a result of this event,” Richard Colbeck, parliamentary secretary to Barnaby Joyce, told the hearing.
“It’s been a pretty good advertisement for our system.”
Whether or not Depp ends up in the dog house, one likely outcome of all this will be rules allowing sniffer dogs to enter private jets and check for animals on arrival in Australia.
The actor reportedly left the country last night, to celebrate his birthday and that of daughter Lily-Rose, taking a private jet from Brisbane Airport to LA via Hawaii.
Photo: Mark Ralston via Getty Images
