A suspect has been threatened with having a live snake stuffed in his mouth during a police interrogation in Indonesia.

Video of the alleged incident also shows the man with the snake draped around his neck as officers try to get him to admit to stealing mobile phones.

The suspect is seen with his hands tied behind his back – yelling as a snake is pushed towards his face by an officer.

A voice is also heard ordering the man to open his eyes as an officer threatens to put the snake into his mouth and up his trousers.

During the interrogation, an officer asks: “How many times have you stolen mobile phones?”

The suspect is then heard admitting: “Only two times.”

Jayawijaya police chief Tonny Ananda Swadaya insisted the snake was non-venomous and tame, but accepted the “investigator was not professional in doing his job”.

Stressing that the officers did not physically attack the suspect, he added: “We have taken stern action against the personnel.”

A human rights lawyer has claimed that this is not an isolated incident.

Veronica Koman claimed a snake was used during the interrogation of one of her clients last month, but police in Papua have said they are not aware of this.

The incident could further inflame tensions in the region, where an insurgency has simmered since the 1960s when the resource-rich Western New Guinea was incorporated into Indonesia.