Johnny Depp’s wife has been charged with illegally bringing the couple’s dogs to Australia after the agriculture minister sparked world attention by ordering the animals to get out of the country or be put down.

Actress Amber Heard, 29, was charged this week with two counts of illegally importing the dogs Pistol and Boo into Australia and one count of producing a false document, the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions said.

The importation charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of €68,970. The false document charge, which relates to information on an incoming passenger card, carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of €6,890.

The canine calamity began in May when agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce accused Depp, 52, of smuggling the couple’s Yorkshire terriers aboard his private jet when he returned to Australia to resume filming of the fifth movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

Australia has strict quarantine regulations to prevent diseases such as rabies from spreading to its shores.

Bringing pets into the country involves applying for a permit and quarantine on arrival of at least 10 days.