Amina

An Iranian-flagged cargo ship that fled Sri Lankan waters after weeks of detention by the island nation's navy has arrived back in Iran, according to ship-tracking data published by Reuters. The Sri Lankan navy fired warning shots in early January to prevent the MV Amina from leaving its waters, acting on a court order obtained by Germany's DVB Bank in pursuit of debts it said were unpaid. Days later however the vessel sailed away from the island in rough seas, the navy said. The Amina, formerly called Shere, is managed by Tehran-based Rahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management, which the European Union and United States have said is a front for Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), Iran's biggest cargo carrier. he Amina was seized in December after DVB obtained an order on Dec. 12 from the Colombo High Court to hold the vessel. Court documents showed that DVB Bank sought to recover millions of dollars in unpaid debts.

The whereabouts of the "Amina" with a 14-member crew that slipped out of the Galle Port on Jan 16 remains unknown as the vessel has switched off its tracking system. The vessel could have reached the Iranian Shores or be any where else, but the exact location was not known. The vessel was detained on a court order shortly after it docked into the Galle Port on Dec 17, 2012, due to debts of a German based private bank. Action against the ship was initiated by a local law firm on the instructions of the bank. The unloaded vessel had docked in Galle to hire five Sea Marshalls before heading for Iran through pirate infested waters.

The "Amina" fled away from the waters of Sri Lanka after suffering detention by its Navy for about two months on Jan 16, 2013. Seizure of the ship was orderer after the DVB Bank obtained orders from the High Court of Colombo on 12 December 2012 to hold the vessel as it had to recover millions of dollars. The seizure of the ship was done after the DVB Bank obtained orders from the high Court of Colombo to hold the vessel as it had to recover millions of dollars. The Sri Lankan Navy fired a few shots to prevent the ship from leaving and hold her on it within 12 nautical miles of its water but was unable to capture it. The Sri Lankan Navy following the UN Law didn’t tried to stop the ship after it crossed its water borders.