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Berlin attack:Tunisian man arrested in connection with Christmas market tragedy Berlin attack: Tunisian man arrested in connection with Christmas market tragedy
(35 minutes later)
German prosecutors say they've detained a Tunisian man they think may have been involved in last week's truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin.  German prosecutors say they've detained a Tunisian man who they think may have been involved in the Berlin Christmas market attack that killed 12 people.
Federal prosecutors said Wednesday the 40-year-old was detained during a search of his home and business.  Federal prosecutors, who say “further investigations indicate that he may have been involved in the attack,” said the 40-year-old was detained today during a search of his home and business.
They said that the man's number was saved in the cellphone of Anis Amri, a fellow Tunisian believed to have driven a truck into the market on 19 December, and that “further investigations indicate that he may have been involved in the attack.”  The man's number was allegedly saved in the mobile phone of Anis Amri, the fellow Tunisian believed to have driven the truck on 19 December, and who was shot dead during a routine patrol in Milan on Friday.
Twelve people died in the attack.  “The deceased suspect Anis Amri had saved the number of this 40-year-old Tunisian national in his phone," said the federal prosecutor's office in a statement.
Prosecutors have until Thursday evening to determine whether the case against the man holds up to the extent they can seek a formal arrest warrant. That would allow them to keep him in custody pending possible charges. "The investigations indicate that he may have been linked to the attack."
Associated Press Prosecutors have until Thursday evening to determine whether the case against the man justifies a formal arrest warrant.
It follows reports in French media that 24-year-old Amri, who became the centre of a Europe-wide hunt and a €100,000 reward, travelled from Germany to France via the Netherlands during his escape.
Amri, who pledged his allegiance to Isis in a video, reportedly boarded an overnight bus at the Dutch city of Nijmegen that took him to Lyon. From there, as caught on surveillance cameras, he took a train to the French Alpine town of Chambery before heading to Milan.
The former petty criminal, who travelled to Italy from Tunisia in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring, had his asylum application rejected by German authorities in June.
His documents, which would have rubber stamped his deportation from Germany, arrived at the country's interior ministry two days after the attack.
The German government has since revealed that 54,123 migrants who were not eligible or were likely to be denied asylum left the country voluntarily in 2016.
Interior Ministry spokesman Harald Neymanns today said this was a "considerable increase" by 20,000 upon the same figure for 2015.
"The increase is welcome," he said. "It's always preferable when people leave the country voluntarily instead of being deported."
Most of those leaving returned to their homes in Albania, Sebira, Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iran, according to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
Those leaving are eligible for one-off support of up to €3,000 to support them in finding employment back home.
A Finance Ministry spokesman also today said the government will boost funding slightly to €150m in 2017 to support efforts in encouraging people to leave Germany.
Associated Press/ Reuters