The video that went viral online shows a man being questioned about stolen phones. This person was tied to his back and shouted when the police officer pushed the snake in front of him.
The man struggled on the ground for a long time and was asked: "How many times have you stolen a mobile phone?". The suspect later replied: "Only 2 times".
In the video, you can hear a voice ordering the man to open his eyes, stroking the snake into his mouth and under his pants.
In a statement, Jayawijaya City Police Chief Tonny Ananda Swadaya apologized, saying that the investigator was unprofessional while doing his job.
Reuters quoted Swadaya as adding that the investigators had " took the initiative" to convince the suspect, saying the snake had no venom and had been purified.
We have taken strong action against these staff, Swadaya said, adding that the investigators did not physically violence the suspect.
Board of Directors spokesperson Indonesia - Mr. Ahmad Musthofa Kamal said that the case is being investigated by the domestic police unit and will be handled appropriately if any violations of the law or code of conduct are detected.
Reports of human rights violations by security forces often come from Papua, where the breakaway movement has been soaring for decades.
Veronica Koman, a human rights lawyer for Papua New Year, said the use of snake in questioning was no different from torture that had occurred before, to a her customer. Meanwhile, Kamal said he did not know about any other cases.
