Shortly before his first trial began, Anibalzinho "escaped" from the Maputo top-security prison. He was tried in absentia in 2003 and sentenced to 28 years in prison.

He was eventually captured in South Africa, returned to Mozambique, only to escape again in May 2004. He fled to Canada, where he sought political asylum, but was arrested by Interpol at Toronto airport and extradited back to Mozambique in January 2005.

Anibalzinho remains a figure of profound infamy. While his imprisonment was a victory for those seeking justice for Cardoso, his story remains a cautionary tale about how state institutions can be compromised by criminal networks. He is currently serving his sentence, with the Mozambican court decreeing that he be deported to Portugal, his country of nationality, upon completion of his prison term.