An expensive digital camera, a flash gun, a pen drive and a box of chocolates — Shatrughna Mahato had his pick from a handbag an NRI had left behind in the taxi he drives. He chose only the chocolates.

The taxi driver, in his mid-30s, handed the bag over to police, apologising profusely for polishing off the entire box.

“I have never seen such chocolates being sold in my neighbourhood shop. I could not control myself and just wanted to find out how they tasted,” said Mahato.

The goodies belonged to UK-resident Mandira Maitra, who took the taxi to her flat on Judges’ Court Road from the airport on March 30.

“Maitra called Alipore police station within minutes of reaching the flat and gave the officers the registration number of the taxi. The police station alerted the Lalbazar control room and the detective department,” said deputy commissioner (detective department) Jawed Shamim.

The cops soon found out Mahato’s address.

“We visited his house in Metiabruz a number of times but he was not around. We asked his family members to tell him to get in touch with us. But Mahato was afraid to contact us. He was waiting for the owner of the taxi, who is out of station, to return,” said an officer.

The detectives finally tracked down Mahato on Sunday night. “He immediately handed over the handbag and confessed that he had eaten all the chocolates,” added the officer.

“Mahato had not even touched the valuables. When we started interrogating him, he kept saying sorry for eating the chocolates,” said another officer.