Penalties for contravening the Quarantine Act range from fines to a maximum of 10 years in prison for the worst cases/XINHUA-File
The Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for biosecurity, said actress-model Amber Heard was served with a summons on Tuesday to answer charges for allegedly breaching quarantine laws.
“(This) action follows an incident where a biosecurity officer attended a Gold Coast property… and found two dogs alleged to be illegally imported,” a department spokeswoman said.
Reports said the case was due to be heard in September in a Queensland state court, though it is not known whether Heard will appear in person.
Penalties for contravening the Quarantine Act range from fines to a maximum of 10 years in prison for the worst cases.
Terriers Pistol and Boo created a media storm earlier this year when they were discovered in Queensland, where Depp is filming “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”, seemingly having bypassed the usual conditions for animals brought into Australia.
The dogs’ presence in Australia only came to light when they were taken to a grooming salon.
Dogs are subject to strict controls for biosecurity reasons, with a permit mandatory and a minimum 10-day stay in a quarantine facility on arrival required.
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce threatened to have the animals put down unless they were removed, warning in May that: “It’s time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States.”
After the summons against Heard was issued, Joyce said he was unable to comment on matters before a court hearing but the law was the same for everybody.
“You come into our nation, you have to abide (by) biosecurity protocols,” he told reporters on Thursday.
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