Sljivancanin remained at large until June 2003, when he was arrested in Belgrade after a tense 10-hour standoff between Serbian special police troops and a crowd of supporters outside his apartment block, where he had returned to celebrate his 50th birthday.
Šljivančanin je ostao na slobodi do lipnja 2003. godine kada je uhićen u Beogradu nakon desetosatne napete situacije između posebnih snaga srbijanske policije i Šljivančaninovih pristaša koji su se okupili ispred njegove zgrade u koju se vratio kako bi proslavio 50 rođendan.