MOSCOW Russia's Parliament on Thursday toughened legislation aimed at combating money-laundering in a move the Kremlin hopes will take it off a blacklist of countries not cooperating in the fight against money laundering.

The state Duma Lower House of Parliament voted 311-0 to support President Vladimir Putin's proposal to add more muscle to an anti-money laundering law that had first been approved last year.

Thursday's measure will give the government the authority to check the transactions of any individual or organization that has been placed on an international or local terrorism list.

It also forces companies dealing in precious metals and stones as well as the gaming industry to report their major transactions to the authorities.

Last year, Russia also created a money-laundering watchdog which answers to the Kremlin and requires banks and other businesses involved in financial transactions to hand over information on request.

Under the legislation, banks and other financial institutions are required to inform authorities about all transactions that exceed 600,000 rubles (about $20,000), AFP reported.

These transaction include deposits into private accounts, exchanging currency and paying cash to buy stock.

The movement of funds into accounts held by companies that had existed for less than three months would also have to be reported.

Russia remains on a blacklist drawn up in 2000 by the multinational Financial Action Task Force (FATF) of countries which are deemed to be inadequately fighting money-laundering.

Russia was among 15 nations retained on the FATF blacklist during the task force's meeting in Paris this month.