A netizen who spread a fake story of organ theft online that caused public panic was detained for five days, said Guangzhou police on November 17

"Those who spread rumors and unsubstantiated information online will surely be punished in a renewed effort by the police to secure a harmonious and stable society," read a notice from the Guangzhou police.

On October 30, the man, surnamed Zhu, went on a well-known web portal and posted a story with the headline "Shocking! Guangzhou Kidney Theft Ring on Crime Spree" under the nickname "haohao985198".

In a story that caused panic among readers, Zhu told of a spine-chilling scenario that allegedly happened to him. He wrote that he attended a party on the Guangzhou University campus celebrating the end of mid-term examination and drank a lot of wine.

Some girls were interested in him and invited him to attend another party where they continued to drink and take some drugs.

When he woke up, he found himself naked in a bathtub filled with ice. He looked at his chest, where there was a note written in red lipstick that read "call 110 or you will die."

When the police arrived they found two nine-inch long openings on his lower back. Later doctors found out that his kidneys had been stolen. On the black market, a pair of kidneys sells for 300,000 RMB, he wrote.

When the police tracked him down, Zhu admitted the kidney theft story was a total fake that was aimed at boosting readership of his online postings.