Crackling

Cracking the Russian girl rape case in three days, the Goa Police on Friday arrested the main accused Aman Bharadwaj in Mumbai hours after his co-worker, who has also been named, was nabbed here. In a breakthrough for the state police, Aman, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh, was picked up in Chembur in Mumbai. Announcing the arrest, Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravindra Yadav said Aman was being brought to Goa. Both Aman and Anil Raghuvanshi, who was arrested earlier in the day from Panaji bus stand, were on the run since Thursday after the mother of the nine-year-old Russian girl gave clues on the identity of the two accused.

Source : http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20100130/804/tnl-russian-girl-rape-case-both-accused.html

Could you please explain to me what "crackling" means here?