Euler's theorem $a^{\phi n} \equiv 1 \pmod n$ only works if $\gcd(a,n) = 1$. Which is not the case with $132, 1000$
However $1000 = 8*125$
And CRT theorem does guarantee that if we can solve $132^{1601}\pmod 8$ and $132^{1601} \pmod {125}$ those two solutions will provide a unique solution to $132^{1601} \pmod {1000}$
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We can't use Euler's Theorem for $132^{1601} \pmod 8$, of course, but $132 = 33*4$ so $132^{1601} = 33^{1601}*4^{1601}$ and $8|4^k$ for all $k \ge 2$ so $132^{1601} \equiv 0 \pmod 8$.
And for $132^{1601} \pmod {125}$ we CAN use Euler's theorem.
As $125|1000$ then $\phi{125}|\phi{1000}$ so $132^{1601}\equiv 132 \pmod {125}$. (in fact $\phi(125) = 20$ but... why redo work you already did.)
So we need to find the unique solution $x \equiv 0 \pmod 8$ and $x \equiv 132 \pmod {125}$. That is $x = 8m = 132 + 125k$ where $0 \le m < 125$ and $0 \le k < 8$.
As $8\not \mid 132$ we can't have $8\mid k$ but as $4|132$ we must have $4|k$.
In other words $k =4$ and $x \equiv 132 + 500\equiv 632 \pmod {1000}$ is the unique solution.
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If we want to verify this:
$132^{1601} = 4^{1601}*33^{1601}$ And $33^{1601} \equiv 33\pmod{1000}$ so
$4^{1601}\equiv 4\pmod {125}$ so $4^{1601} \equiv 4,129,254,379,504,629,754,$ or $879 \pmod {1000}$. But as $8|4^{1601}$ then $4^{1601}\equiv 504\equiv 500 + 4 \pmod{1000}$
So $132^{1601} = 4^{1601}33^{1601} \equiv (500 + 4)33 \pmod{1000}$
$\equiv 500 + 132\equiv {1000}$
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In general. If you have $a$ and $n$ and $\gcd(a,n) = d$ then we can set up $n = n'D$ where $\gcd(n',D) = 1$ and $d|D$.
Then we can solve $a^k \equiv x\pmod n$ by solving $a^k \pmod{n'}$ and $a^k \equiv \pmod D$.
$a^k \pmod{n'}$ can be solved by Euler's Theorem.
$a$ can also be written as $a = a'\delta$ where $\gcd(a',n) = \gcd(a', d) = 1$ and $d|\delta$ (note that either $\delta$ or $D$ equals $d$). And so we can solve $a^k\pmod D$ by solving $a^k = a'^k*d^k*(\frac {\delta}d)^k = MD = Md*\frac Dd\implies$
$a'^k d^{k-1}(\frac {\delta}d)^k = M\frac Dd$ . If $D= d$ then will mean $a^k\equiv 0 \pmod D$. Other wise this means $a'^k d^{k-1} = M\frac Dd$. Now $\frac Dd$ has the same prime factors of $d$ so this will usually mean $a^k \equiv 0\pmod D$ but might not if the powers of the prime factors of $\frac Dd$ are higher than the prime factors of $d^{k-1}$. But if that is the case we can reduce and and solve by Euler's theorem.
So Euler's theorem in combination with CRT will always allow us to solve these.