The film star landed in hot water earlier this month after it had emerged that he had evaded Australia's tough quarantine regulations when he flew pooches Boo and Pistol into Brisbane.on his private jet.

The furry pair were hastily flown back to California when furious agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce said it was time they "buggered off" and set a 50-hour deadline for them to either leave the country or be put down.

But it appears the Australian authorities still have a bone to pick in their so-called "War on Terrier", with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting that government officials say Depp could face up to a decade in prison or a maximum fine of A$340,000. The harsh potential penalties emerged as a Senate committee hearing in Canberra discussed the high-profile case.

Australian law dictates that dogs must be kept in quarantine for at least 10 days after arriving Down Under in order to guard against the spread of diseases such as rabies and leptospirosis.

Depp - who has been filming the fifth instalment of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise in Queensland - was reunited with Boo and Pistol when he flew back to Los Angeles with his wife, Amber Heard, earlier this week.