Police in Indonesia have apologized for using a snake to terrorize a man suspected of stealing cellphones.

A video that has gone viral shows officers in the eastern Papua region laughing while an interrogator drapes the large reptile on the handcuffed suspect, who is screaming in fear, according to the BBC.

At one point in the video, an officer asks the man how many times he has stolen mobile phones.

The suspect, writhing on the ground in fear, responds, “Only two times,” according to Reuters.

The local police chief, Tonny Ananda Swadaya, admitted the interrogation technique was unprofessional but still defended it.

“We have taken stern action against the personnel,” he said in an official statement, adding that the man was not physically beaten and that the snake was not venomous.