During an interrogation meeting in the eastern part of Papua, police tied a live snake around the suspect's neck to persuade him to confess. Indonesian police apologized and promised disciplinary action.
An online video shows a man being questioned by a stolen mobile phone with his hands tied behind his back. When an officer pushed a snake into his face, his mood was greatly reduced.
The man spent most of his time twisting on the ground and was asked by an official, "How many times have you stolen your cell phone?"
The suspect later responded, "Only twice." During the video, a voice could be heard, ordering the man to open his eyes, and at one stage threatening to put the snake in his mouth and under his pants.
Tonny Ananda Swadaya, police chief of Jayawijaya, apologized in a statement that "investigators have no professional job".
Swadaya added that the officers had been taking the initiative to confess that snakes were non-toxic and tame.
"We took drastic action against these people," he said, adding that the police themselves had not physically attacked the man.
Ahmad Musthofa Kamal, a spokesman for the Papua Police, said the case was being investigated by the Interior Department and action would be taken if it violated the law or codes of conduct.
Reports of human rights violations by security forces often appear in Papua, where separatist movements have been brewing for decades.
The former Dutch colony, the resource-rich western island of New Guinea, was incorporated into Indonesia after a United Nations-sponsored referendum in 1969.
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