British Consulate General employee Simon Cheng was released on Saturday upon completing his term of detention, Shenzhen's Luohu police said Saturday. 

Cheng's legal rights had been protected during his 15-day administrative detention. Cheng confessed to all of his illegal acts, Luohu police in Shenzhen said in a post on its Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo. 

Simon Cheng Man-kit, 28, an employee of the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, was given 15 days' administrative detention by Shenzhen police for violating China's regulation on public security management, Geng Shuang, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a routine press conference on Wednesday.

Police in Luohu district told the Global Times on Thursday Cheng was detained for 15 days for soliciting prostitutes.   

Cheng violated the 66 article of China's law on administrative penalties for public security, which states that people who engage in prostitution or visit prostitutes shall be detained for no less than 10 days but no more than 15 days, Luohu police told the Global Times Thursday.  

A Facebook post claimed Saturday that Simon has returned to Hong Kong. "Simon and his family wish to have some time to rest and recover," the post said, adding that "We will explain more later."    

Foreign media have extensively reported on the case in which Cheng "went missing" during his trip to Shenzhen, and the UK's Foreign Office also expressed concern over the incident.

Those reports linked the incident to the current complicated situation in Hong Kong, politicized the case and highlighted his family's lack of knowledge on his whereabouts.  

China's foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang on Wednesday demanded the British side to stop making irresponsible remarks, interfering with Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs.