UK Embassy staffer Simon Cheng was released by the Chinese authorities on August 24 after 15 days of detention. China's official Global Times reported on August 22 that a staffer at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, who has been detained by police in the Luohu district of  Shenzhen City, is being held for solicitation of prostitution. It said “Simon Cheng violated item 66 of the Public Security Administration Punishment Law on Aug. 9, and has been punished with 15 days administrative detention.” Item 66 covers prostitution.Those who solicit prostitution can be detained for 10 to 15 days, with a maximum fine of 5,000 yuan (around $706). The Global Times further claimed that Luohu police didn’t notify Cheng’s family about the “illegal behavior,” at his request. According to Cheng’s family, who released a statement about his disappearance on Aug. 21, Cheng went to neighboring Shenzhen City for a business trip on the morning of Aug. 8 and planned to return to Hong Kong that evening by high-speed rail. At about 10 p.m., Cheng sent text messages to his girlfriend when he was about to pass through customs. The family then lost contact with him. After Cheng’s disappearance, the UK government tried to contact him. Geng Shuang, the spokesman of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned the UK government at an August 21 press conference, claiming that it had no right to intervene.