Johnny Depp's dogs could land the actor in jail.

Government officials have confirmed Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp could face up to 10 years in prison or a maximum fine of AU$340,000 (NZ$363,950) for illegally bringing his two dogs into Australia.

His pilot could face up to two years in prison for his role in the undeclared importing of Pistol and Boo.



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These were some of the details revealed as a Senate committee hearing in Canberra turned its attention to the high-profile quarantine case.

Johnny Depp's dogs Pistol and Boo were discovered after they became stars on Facebook.

Earlier this month, Australian Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce threatened to have Depp's two Yorkshire terriers put down after they were illegally brought into the country.

"The dog thing - we'll get that out of the way quickly," was the ambitious goal growled by a member of the Senate rural and regional affairs and transport committee on Monday afternoon.

Agriculture Department officials presented themselves at Parliament House to answer questions from the committee - all of its members keen to find out who let the dogs in.

"It is very serious," politicians and public servants agreed.

"A complete balls up," muttered another committee member.

As well as being grilled by the senators for 40 minutes, department officials also had the chance to enjoy committee chairman Bill Heffernan's best Yorkie impersonation.

An ongoing investigation by the department understands that Depp, his fellow passengers and the flight crew all failed to declare the presence of the dogs.

Customs officers did not find the terriers when they boarded the aircraft before the passengers disembarked.

The dogs - now safely evacuated to the United States - were only discovered and apprehended after they became "film stars on Facebook". This occurred after Pistol and Boo visited a dog grooming salon.

"Did the dog clipper ring the alarm bell?" asked a committee member.

"A celebrity brought their dogs in to be pampered. The dogs were duly pampered and that pampering was put onto social media," described Senator Richard Colbeck.

The matter subsequently came to the attention of the authorities.

The committee also heard that Boo and Pistol aren't the only petite pooches smuggled into Australia recently.

Six months ago, a dog illegally entered Australia in an American woman's handbag. Its entry was authorised, but its mode of travel was not.

It escaped x-ray screening but did end up spending some time in quarantine, before being cleared.

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