Mar.08, 2010, 12:01pm EST

VIENNA, March 8 (Reuters) - UniCredit's (CRDI.MI) Bank Austria, RZB [RZB.UL], and the then Austrian branch of Anglo Irish Bank (AGIBY.PK) reported suspicious transactions in 2007 related to an alleged 2 billion euro ($2.7 billion) money laundering case, Austria's Federal Crime Office said.

News magazine profil reported on Monday, citing the Italian indictment, that banks were used as conduits in the alleged money laundering, which has also ensnared Italian telecoms groups.

The alleged scheme, revealed by Italian prosecutors last month, involved accounts at UniCredit's Bank Austria, RZB and the Anglo Irish Bank branch, the magazine reported.

Austria's Federal Crime Office said the banks had reported their suspicions in a timely manner and without delay.

UniCredit BankAustria declined to comment, citing the banking secrecy law, and UniCredit would not comment.

Board member Enrst Traun-Abensberg of Valartis Bank (Austria) (VLRT.S), which bought the Austrian branch of Anglo Irish in December 2008, confirmed the bank was cooperating with the Austrian authorities but said could not comment on an ongoing investigation.

RZB said in a statement as soon as "concrete suspicions" had presented themselves, the bank notified the Austrian authorities.

Italian prosecutors in February alleged that criminal organisations laundered the money via fictitious international phone service purchases and sales between 2003 and 2006.

They alleged executives at Italian broadband operator Fastweb (FWB.MI) and Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) unit Sparkle unit knew about the operations. [ID:nLDE61M1O2]

Austria as well as such financial centres as Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg have come under the spotlight for its bank secrecy laws in relation to tax offences last year as a global crackdown on tax havens gathered momentum.

While the country's bank secrecy laws have made some tax probes into foreigners' accounts difficult, they do not protect secrecy in criminal cases.