Europe's most wanted man, Salah Abdeslam, who went on the run after the terrorist attacks in Paris last month, passed through Italy in August during a return trip to Syria from Belgium, an intelligence official said on Thursday.
The fugitive alleged Paris terror attacker crossed Italy between 1 and 5 August and took a ferry to Greece and back from the southern port city of Bari, but made no contact with other terror suspects while on Italian soil, according to the official.
Investigators studied credit card activity and communications by Abdeslam to trace his movements and contacts, Arturo Esposito, head of Italy civilian secret service, AISI, told the Italian parliament's intelligence and security commission.
The Islamic State jihadist group claimed the 13 November attacks on Paris restaurants and bars and a concert hall that killed 130 people and injured over 360.
Abdeslam, 26, a Belgian-born French national was meant to be the eighth suicide bomber in the Paris assault but fled the city after taking part in the gun attacks on several restaurants and cafes.
French authorities have revealed that many of the Paris attackers were European Union nationals, who were allowed to travel back and forth between Europe and Islamic State-controlled areas in Syria on a number of occasions, taking advantage of the passport-free Schengen area.