2015年10月24號，林榮基喺羅湖口岸過關後失去聯絡。其妻喺11月5號到香港警署報案丈夫失蹤，數小時後即收到林致電報平安。不久，警方又來電詢問剛剛有否收到林嘅電話，又稱有關人士已報平安，故拒絕披露出入境紀錄並停止跟進案件。2016年6月14號，林榮基喺中國大陸返港，向警方要求銷案。6月16號，林榮基喺立法會議員何俊仁陪同下開記者招待會，交代被拘留嘅細節。
On 24 October 2015, Lam lost contact after crossing the border at the Lo Wu Port. On November 5, his wife went to the Hong Kong Police Station to report her husband's disappearance, and a few hours later received a phone call from Lam reporting that she was safe. Soon after, the police called again to ask if they had just received a call from Lam, and said that the person concerned had reported that he was safe, so he refused to disclose the entry and exit records and stopped following up the case. On June 14, 2016, Lam returned to Hong Kong in Chinese mainland and asked the police to cancel the case. On June 16, Lam Wing-kee, accompanied by Legislative Council member Ho Chun-yan, held a press conference to explain the details of his detention.