A Jeep Cherokee carrying Dugan and another man was pulled over by police in Lithgow late on Friday evening.
Dugan, who lives in Gymea in southern Sydney, and the other man - from Alexandria - were directed by officers to turn around and make the two-hour return trip to Sydney.
“The driver allegedly told police they were moving to the area and were going to feed animals, however later admitted they were heading to a friend’s house for the weekend,” NSW Police said in a statement.
“They were directed to return home.”
Josh Dugan has been charged after police pulled over his car in Lithgow in Central NSW last week. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett.Source:News Corp Australia
However, officers again stopped the vehicle about 40 minutes later when they saw it travelling away from Sydney towards Yetholm.
Police charged Dugan at his Sydney home on Sunday evening.
Both he and his passenger were charged with two counts of not complying with a noticed direction and will appear in court on October 7.
The incident leaves Dugan’s NRL career hanging by a thread after he was earlier in the year fined $25,000 for breaching the game’s Covid protocols by attending a Potts Point restaurant.
He was photographed eating with friends at Fratelli Paradiso in violation of the NRL’s biosecurity bubble rules which require players to only leave their homes for training and essential reasons.
The former NSW and Kangaroos star was not included in the club’s playing group which was taken to Queensland to join the biosecurity bubble after the transfer of the competition to the sunshine state.
He has not played since May and the club has said it will not sign him to a new deal.